Cold
by SeventhSister
Summary: Cold nights drive out the hungry beasts. And Dracula is hungry. But the damsel he sets his eye upon, is not an everyday distressed maiden. R&R, please!
1. Chapter 1

One.

Little freak.

Cold.

It was getting colder, and up here, in the mountains, people knew that the cold meant one thing: Cold night drives out the hungry beasts.

Victoria wasn't afraid of any beasts. She never was, and would probably never be again. Not since she had been a child, had the serenades of the wolves in the vast forests around her village caused her reason to cry. In fact, as she had grown older, not much, just old enough to understand that everyone around her either feared, hated or pitied her, and the kids of her own age were idiots, driven by the need to run in packs, she had begun to relax when she heard to wolves. They would sing her to sleep at night, and sometimes she even ventured out into the darkness, and she would find them, as they sat in their huge families and sang and cried. She would keep well hidden in the shadows, but even if the wolves one day would find her, she didn't think they wanted to hurt her: she had never hurt them, so why should they start at random? Of course, there were other beasts prowling the night…

Before Victoria's mother had grown sick of her, and her farther had thought her a fool, they would tell her stories. Stories, not always of magical kingdoms far away, but sometimes about the other villages in the mountains, where monsters roamed. Stories of death and blood, of nights, and shadows and of the creatures of the darkness. Vampires and werewolves, they were called.

And Victoria had listened, and she had believed them. Why would parents lie to their children, after all? But then one day… when young, 16 year old Victoria had woken from sleep, she had found her little house empty, with no sign of her parents around. And after panicked running through the streets of the village, and asked everyone who would open their door, if they had seen her mother and farther, Victoria had learned, that her so called 'family' had left. Packed their belongings together and left her alone, not wishing to be mocked anymore by the other villagers, for having spawned a freak. That was the last time Victoria had cried; a good, proper crying, where you let go of all your pain and hate, and feel somewhat lighter and cooler afterwards.

And now, 6 years later, Victoria had begun to wonder, how many lies her parents had filled her with: After all, she had never met a vampire, so how could she know that it were nothing more that a blood craving animal? And that a werewolf yearned flesh and nothing more? Maybe, just maybe, a werewolf would just turn out to be an overgrown wolf? Like the one who sang to her? And a vampire would treat her with kindness and respect, and never laugh at her, or call her a freak…? Maybe…

Kindness?

Respect?

…Gradually…

The trouble all started one crisp late summer evening, when Victoria had decided to venture out amongst the villagers and breathe some early autumn air, and trade some carved figures she had made, for some books. The innkeeper had promised her a copy of Macbeth, if she would carve some little animals for his nieces and nephews.

Victoria pushed open the door to the inn, where some drunks from the night before still slept, lurched over their tables. She had always liked the inn. It smelled of smoke and ale, and the innkeeper had always treated her with a fatherly kindness. He was huge as a house, and had a burning red beard, and friendly, brown eyes. His laughter sounded like thunder and he could easily break the arm on anyone who shouted 'freak' at Victoria. This he had proved once, when a boy from Victoria's class, had played a game with the other kids: Make the monster cry.

Victoria wasn't a monster; she wasn't fat or slim, just normal. She was a bit higher than the other girls and was not the kind of girl who waited for someone to come and save her. She saved herself, and she was proud of it. And the reason why she had been known as the local abomination was that she had been born with pitch coloured hair. Not something that should have been that important, but even the smallest village needs to find a scapegoat, and the orphaned devil child seemed so obvious that it would be an insult to ignore it. And so, when Victoria walked through the narrow alleys of the market square, her smooth, ink black hair was always so easy to find, amidst the shades of blond, brown and the occasional ginger red.

So Victoria read. She took her revenge on the townsfolk, by reading everything she found interesting, and she grew smarter and learned.

She learned that words have the greatest power on earth, that dragons have a soft spot at the belly, that Hamlet loved Ophelia and that black hair ran in the blood, and her great grandfathers or mothers must have been dark haired, too, and is was her blond parents that were the freaks of the family.

,, Oi, Vickie!" the innkeeper waved her to the counter, and Victoria placed a small bag on the desk.

,, Dogs, cats, some geese, a deer and two cows." she announced and smiled, her pearl grey eyes glowing in the faint light.

,, Great!" he took the bag and let it disappear beneath the desk. In the same movement, he produced a beautiful book, with gold letters and blood coloured leather cover. Victoria took it, and placed it in her bag, which already contained several stories from some of the world's greatest writers.

,, Thank you, Thomas. Always a pleasure doing business with you." she smiled.

,, ' You eaten yet?" he asked. Victoria nodded.

,, Yes, I have. Sorry to disappoint you."

,, Not a' all. Just wond'ring if you 'ere 'ungry, that's all." Victoria didn't like being guarded, like she was some kind of animal, but it was nice that Thomas cared if she had eaten or not. Besides, her meal had consisted of a watery, salty soup, but she didn't like the feeling of owing people something. She waved goodbye to Thomas, and hurried out of the slowly filling inn. But, on her way out the door, she bumped in to a compact build young man, with pink skin and ginger/blond hair. Michael, the village's most eligible bachelor, also known as the 'Deflowerer' since he had made it his personal crusade, to rob all the virgins of their honour. And Victoria was the last on his list.

,, Victoria! Well, how nice it is to see you!" he smirked. Victoria pushed quickly past him, and walked out in the fading light of the setting sun. Most of the villagers had already hurried home and locked their door, even though it had been years since the last vampire attack, but some were still out in the muddy streets, chattering about gods knows what. In a fast pace, Victoria tried to disappear in the long shadows, but Michael followed.

,, Where are you going?"

,, None of your concern." she snapped. She had hated Michael, even before he had learned that he could kiss the girls and make them cry. He once tore one of her books, a poetry collection by Eminescu, to shreds , because she had called him stupid, which in fact he was. He could hardly even read, and he spent more time in other girl's bedrooms than he did in his own. A class A swine, if you asked Victoria. The dream of the village, if you asked every other girl.

Victoria glanced over her shoulder, and saw Michael, following her at an increasingly smaller distance.

,, Are you going to follow me all night?" she asked.

,, No. Just until we get to your house, then I plan on having a little lie down." he replied.

' _Swine, swine, swine…" _Victoria thought, and her fingers ran over her dagger, hidden under the shirt she had pulled over her simple dress.

' _If you touch me, I shall make sure that you'll never touch another woman again.' _

,, Leave me alone!" she shouted. Michael didn't, he just sped up. In reply, Victoria ran. She ran though the village, but when she reached the border of the forest, she had to stop. Running had never been one of her best qualities.

Cursing and swearing, she saw Michael running after her. As he reached her, he stopped.

,, Ahw, c'mon…" he said, not even short of breath.

,,… don't be that way. I won't hurt you, I promise."

,, Go Away!" she almost shouted. He didn't, so she turned around and fled into the forest.

Michael, standing alone at the border, was struggling with his fear of the creatures of the night, and his libido. Last one mentioned won, and he set off after her, into the vast emptiness of the wild.


	2. Chapter 2

Two.

' To rule with glory'

Vitoria had been in the forest a thousand times, and now, she liked to believe that it helped her, opening paths for her, that would have taken her several precious minutes to find her own way through. Maybe it was just her overgrown imagination, but it sounded like Michael had a huge amount of trouble behind her, tripping over every little branch on the forest floor. Her called out to her:

,, Victoria, I'm sorry if I scared you! Please come back, this isn't safe!" Victoria just ran, until she reached a small clearing between the trees, where she halted. She touched her dagger, as if confirming she could defend herself against a fire-breathing dragon, and turned to face Michael. His hunt through the forest had torn his shirt, and small lines of scarlet could be seen on his grimy skin. His hair was a mess, full of twigs and spiders web. He looked exhausted.

,, Please, Victoria, I won't hurt you. I just want to talk. "

,, About what?" she asked, her hand resting on the dagger.

,, You." he said. Victoria looked disbelieving at him. No, that wasn't what he wanted to talk about. Not at all.

,, I mean, you're always so lonely. And I always feel for you, when you sit there, all alone…" he stepped closer to her. In response, Victoria stepped backwards.

,,… and you're actually really beautiful…" Victoria didn't think of herself as 'beautiful'. Maybe, her features were beautiful, but when she looked in the mirror, she just saw an ordinary girl. Not ugly, not pretty, just her.

,,… I just want to comfort you, I really do." he talked as if she were a horse that needed to relax. He stepped closer to her, and as Victoria stepped backwards, she found her back pressed up against a huge tree. In her mind, Victoria cursed.

Michael reached out and placed a hand on her right arm, stroking her.

,, Michael, don't touch me!" she hissed, but Michael wrapped his arms tightly around her, and tried to kiss her. Victoria's head spun from side to side, while her brain tried to find a way out of this mess.

With almost all the power in her arm, for Michael was strong, she pulled her dagger free.

,, Please, Victoria, you will enjoy this." he breathed heavy on her neck, and Victoria looked at the weapon in her hand. She hated Michael, but she couldn't kill him. While Michael placed wet, disgusting kisses on her shoulders and neck, she twisted her hand, so the handle of the dagger was held as the blade, her hand grabbing the end closest to the metal. And as Michael's hands ran up under her shirt, and tried to loosen her dress, Victoria hammered the handle of the weapon into his temple. Michael groaned and fell to the earth.

Victoria, still pressed up against the tree, looked at the unconscious body at her feet, then at her dagger, and then on the path back to the village. Then she stepped over Michael, and walked further in. She needed to relax, and when Michael woke, he would think she had gone back to the village, and Vitoria could rest in the magical darkness of the forest.

Victoria wanted to cry, but only three or four salty tears escaped her eyes. She shook though. Her insides were burning, ever inch of her felt like it was on fire, but she shook in the cold breeze. She put the dagger back in her belt, and walked until she reached a small pond-like lake, that smelled of mud and water and wet leaves. She sat down and leaned against a slim silver birch. She hugged her bag closely, and tried to erase the felling of Michael's lips on her skin.

Then, a snap, when something in the shadows steeped on a dry twig. Vitoria got up, her bag left on the ground. The thoughts of a conscious, enraged Michael made her grab for her dagger, as she called:

,, Who's there?" silence answered.

Then, a rustle in the leaves above her head made her spin around and look up in the trees. Nothing. She called again:

,, Who's there?" her voice sounded insanely braver than she felt herself, but silence was the only reply. Then, the undergrowth beyond the lake shook, like a huge beast was approaching through it. Victoria spun again, her dagger unsheathed. She was shaking, but she convinced herself that the darkness and her imagination were working together to scare her… And it worked.

Then, a voice spoke, almost making Victoria fall in the lake, when she jolted in the air.

,, Young girls shouldn't be out this late, unaccompanied." is said, the owner of it standing behind her.

Victoria spun again, and found herself facing at a tall man, standing beside the birch tree.

He was pale, even in the early moonlight it was easy to see. His hair was as black as Victoria's, worn in a ponytail, with a few, loose raven locks framing his face.

He was dressed in a black uniform-like suit that looked like nothing Victoria had ever seen before. He looked a her, his pale, blue eyes running from her worn boots and her dark grey dress, to her cream coloured shirt, and her dust grey eyes.

Victoria realised she stood with the dagger in her hand, ready for battle. Blushing, in the shadows, she placed it in her belt once more, but rested her hand on it, nor knowing if the stranger meant harm or not.

,, Sorry, I thought you were someone else." she mumbled. The man smiled.

,, My dearest, you have nothing to fear from me…" he said. He had a strange accent, but almost everyone around here had. His just seemed… different. Ancient.

,, I mean you absolutely no harm, I can assure you." Vitoria looked from the ground to the man before her. He didn't look like he wanted to hurt her, so she removed her hand from the dagger, and let it rest down her side.

,, There, now.." he looked as if she had been crying for ages, and he was there only to comfort her.

,,… much better, is it not?" Victoria nodded. The mans gaze fell to her bag on the ground and he bend down and picked it up. Victoria didn't protest.

The man weighed the bag in his hand and shook it lightly, as Victoria approached him.

,, Too heavy for clothes, too light for weapons…" the leather covers _'claked'_ as they hit one another. The man smiled, as he handed Victoria her bag.

,,… books?"

,, Yes, some of my favourites." she smiled. It was nice that he seemed generally interested in her books, not laughing or making a joke.

,, Not many shepherdesses around here can read… " the man said, as he leaned closer to Victoria, who at one point was scared, but on another, the was as calm as calm could be.

,,… I have always fancied the ones who can." he said, his voice barely a whisper. Victoria's hand was back on the knife again, and she stepped away from the stranger.

,, I am no shepherdess…!" she announced, almost offended.

,, … and I am perfectly capable of hurting you, if you dare to come closer!" The stranger looked at her, and smiled. That kind of smile, which reminded Victoria, that the forest was full of wolves, and she really, REALLY should be getting home.

,, I apologize, if I have offended you, in any way, little lambkin… That was not at all my intentions, and I beg your forgiveness." as he stood there, with no weapons visible and a kind glow to his pale eyes, Victoria lowered her hand once more.

,, Very well, I shall forgive you, on one condition…" the man raised an eyebrow.

,, Yes?"

,,… don't ever call me, or any other woman my age 'lambkin' ever again." the stranger laughed.

,, Certainly, I will do as you request." Victoria smiled, he seemed generally nice, if you looked past the 'little lambkin' and the lacking knowledge of personal space.

,, Where are you from?" she asked, living in a village as small as hers, you would know a person, were he from afar.

,, Oh, a long way away…" he said.

,, … I have been travelling most of the day. Tell me, how far is it to the next village?"

,, Not that far, a half hours walk from here…" she pointed to indicate the direction.

,, … that way." the man looked at the narrow path.

,, And you? If it is not too much of a personal question, what is a beautiful…."

_that word again._

,… intelligent lady like yourself, doing out this late, without any companionship?"

,, I… Well, I… " Victoria felt the blood roaring in her ears, how should you answer, without making it feel like she was some kind of damsel in distress?

,, Has it something to do with the person you were expecting?" he asked.

,, Well… Yes… A boy from the village. He… uhm, well he…"

,, Ah," he said.

,, I am not from these parts, but is it custom, that a young girl greet her lover with a knife in her hand?" Victoria's face changed colour, from her usual pale complexion with cheeks pinked by the cool air, to a shade of rage.

,, Lov…! Michael?! I wouldn't love him if my life depended on it! I don't even like him. Actually, I think I hate him. I _know _I hate him!" the man held up his hands in apologizes.

,, My mistake… but then, why were you sitting alone in the darkness?"

,, Michael has made a bet with some of the other boys in the village…" Victoria explained.

,,… if he can… steal all the girls', of his age, virtue, he will win 50 gold coins… And, well… I am the only one who now stands between him and the riches…" the last part was mumbled, Victoria wasn't used to speak of her virtue with anyone, especially a complete stranger.

She looked up: The man stood with his fist clenched at his sides, and an expression of sheer disgust across his face.

,, Why, I ask, why does anyone play with women's feelings like that?" he spat.

,, It is revolting." Victoria stared in amazement. He was the first man she had ever met, who was in obvious disgust with Michael's little game.

,, Well, no one's stopping him… Most of the elders don't even know of it, I think…" he didn't look appeased, but after some time, he loosened his fists and shook his head.

,, I know I cannot control your decisions, but if you would keep away from him, I wouldn't be furious with you…"

,, Oh, believe me, there isn't sweet words enough in the world, which would make me see Michael as an eligible suitor. I hardly see him as an eligible knife target." the man smiled.

,, I must say, you seem to have more than pretty eyes in that head of yours, miss…?"

,, Oh, Victoria…" Victoria said, not knowing if she should shake his hand or not. She decided it would look disrespectful if she didn't, so she held out her hand.

,, And I do not think that I know your name yet, sir…?" the man took her hand in his, and made Victoria shudder.

_God, he is so cold!_

He lifted her hand to his face, and pressed his equally cold lips against it.

,, Victoria…" he whispered against her skin, making the hairs on Victoria's arms and neck rise.

,, …I am Count Vladislav, and it is my greatest pleasure to meet you." now Victoria blushed again. After some moments of awkward silence, Vladislav let go of her hand.

,, A count? I didn't know there still were any counts around here." she said, feeling stupid for not saying anything smarter.

,, Oh, my family have been here for a long time…" he announced.

,,… but we have lived in the shadows for some time, no one hardly know of us. We enjoy the peace." Victoria nodded I agreement, peace wasn't as treasured as it should be.

Then, a wolf howled in the distance. Victoria instinctively looked at the moon, which had reached its peak. Then Vladislav spoke.

,, Victoria…" he tasted her name.

,,… It's a beautiful name… Means 'Victory'…" he looked her in the eyes and smiled.

,,…And to me, you seem indeed, a victorious woman." Victoria didn't quite know what he meant by that, but she couldn't help feeling flattered.

,, Vladislav… ' To Rule With Glory'. Good name for a count." Then Victoria's mind slipped back to the moon above them. She looked up again.

,, Oh, no, I should really get home…! It must be midnight, at least!" she looked back down at the count, hoping that Vladislav might would know the time, but he was gone, and Victoria was standing all alone by the little lake…


	3. Chapter 3

Three.

Fear of the Dark.

Victoria had been walking most of the way home, even though she felt like running. But she knew, that if she ran, she would easily get lost. And besides, there was probably a reasonable explanation to why Vladislav had disappeared... Hopefully.

As Victoria approached the edge of the forest, she heard the rustle of the leaves on the forest floor. Hoping it was Vladislav, for she had enjoyed talking to him, she turned around to face him, but a rock solid fist hit her hard on the mouth, and she fell backwards to the ground.

Not knowing what had hit her, not even knowing what really had happened, she just managed to state, that all her teeth sat where they should sit, and her upper lip hurt and bled, before a pair of strong hands wrapped themselves around her neck, and her head was slammed down into the ground several times. She felt the weight of another human, as her attacker placed himself on top of her, and a voice that sounded very much like Michael, only so far away, spat:

,, You fucking little whore! All you had to do was to shut your fat little mouth, and everything would have gone perfect! But you just had to make a big fuss about it!" he hissed.

Victoria found herself wondering, if she would choke to death, before or after Michael had settled the score… And judging by the tight grip around her neck, it would most likely be before. As the shadows closed in on her, and she became dizzier by the second, she tried to reach for her dagger, but Michael had placed himself on her belt, and Victoria hadn't any strength left to try and push him away. Heart racing in her chest, she tried to scratch his hands, but he didn't react, the rage had consumed every nerve in his body. Victoria was going to die.

Then Michael flew backwards, letting go of Victoria, who burst out into a violent series of coughs. She looked through teary eyes, as Michaels body flung into one, two, three, four trees, before in slammed into the ground with a great _whump!_

Victoria gasped for air and rubbed her sore throat with one hand, and tried to steady her trembling body. A dark figure towered before her, but Victoria wasn't scared. She somehow knew, before the person crouched down beside her, that it was Vladislav.

She looked him in the eyes, and tried to thank him, but her voice had grown hoarse, as if she had been screaming for a very long time, so all she could do was croak.

,, Easy... easy, don't talk…" he whispered and stroked her hair with one hand, and placed the other on her neck. The coolness of his skin felt wonderful, and the pain and swelling soon disappeared, even though there still were some nasty red marks on her skin. Victoria tried again.

,, Thank you… I think you saved my life…" Vladislav smiled.

,, Can you stand?" he asked. Victoria's legs felt like boiling lead, but she tried anyway. Vladislav wrapped his arms around her and helped her to her feet. He smelled of mist and forest, of magic and night and it somehow comforted Victoria. When he let go of her again, she swayed a bit, but she didn't fall down, which was a good sign.

She looked around and her eyes locked on the body of her attacker.

,, Michael, I presume?" Vladislav asked. Victoria nodded.

,, Is he dead?" she asked, not any trace of emotion in her voice.

,, No."

,, Pity."

,, I could kill him, if you want me to." Victoria looked almost shocked at Vladislav: he wasn't joking. After a long pause, she shook her head.

,, No… No, I suppose he can live…"

,, I could castrate him?" Vladislav offered.

,, Poke out his eyes? Cut out his tongue? Anything?" After much consideration, Victoria shook her head.

,, No, sorry, I'm just not that type of person… I just hope he wakes up with a really painful headache."

,, Well, aren't you the little Saint of the Fools." Vladislav teased, as his cold hand stroked her cheek, before grabbing her by the chin.

,, You're bleeding." he stated.

,, Yes, he strikes quite hard." Victoria said, fingers carefully touching the cut in her lip.

One hand gently holding her chin, the other one produced a white handkerchief, seemingly out of nothing, and serenely wiped the blood away from her face. Then he placed a cold finger on the wound.

Victoria felt a mild tinkling in her lip, and when Vladislav removed his hand, the blood didn't start to flow again, and it somehow felt better. And it all seemed so scary, but she wasn't the least terrified. It all seemed like some kind of dream. She then realised that Vladislav was standing very close to her, so close she could feel his cold breath on her face. She moved backwards, away from him, and he looked hurt.

,, Well, if two persons are going the same way, at the same time, there's no point in not walking together, don't you think so?" she asked and suddenly became very interested in a thread dangling from her shirt.

Vladislav smiled.

,, I couldn't agree more." he walked up to her, and bowed.

,, My lady, I would be honoured, if you would be so kind and lead the way to the village inn." Victoria smiled, he was so kind!

,, Of course, but would you mind if I just show you the last bit of the way?" she asked, as they began to walk down to the village, side by side.

,, Why?" he asked.

,, Well, the inn is always pretty full, many people come and drink there every night, and…" the trailed off.

,, Yes?"

,, Well, I'm not the village's favourite girl… Actually, I'm the exact opposite… And I don't like being in large groups, that's all. " Vladislav looked at the girl beside him, she seemed generally upset.

,, And to top it all, I've had a rough night… Where were you, by the by?" she stopped and stared him in the eyes.

,, You had me worried."

,, Me? Oh, I just needed to go back and put out the fire I was starting. I thought I had to spend the night in the forest, but then you came along." Victoria hadn't seen any glow that might resemble a fire , and she hadn't smelled any smoke. But, why would Vladislav lie to her? But then again, everybody was entitled to have secrets. Victoria walked, engulfed in her thoughts, and when Vladislav talked to her, she looked up.

,, What? Sorry, I was far away…"

,, I said, your family must be worried sick about you. Are they used to you staying out so late?"

,, My fami… No, they don't mind." she didn't like the idea of her new confidante pitying her, she could explain everything later, when she had had a proper night of sleep and something to eat.

,, The innkeeper, Thomas, is a friend of mine. Tell him you know me, and he might give you a free meal…" she winked at him.

,,… if you're nice, that is." They had reached the village and minutes later, they stood by Victoria's little house. Victoria saw that someone had thrown a rock through one of her windows, breaking the last window on this floor. She tried to act natural, and pretend it wasn't there.

,, All right, you walk down this street, then you turn right, and walk until you see the church, then you turn left by that, and right again on the other side. Then you're on the doorstep of the inn." Vladislav's eyes ran from the broken window in the silent house, to Victoria's face.

,, Thank you, Victoria, I am most grateful." He took her hand and let his fingers entwine with hers.

,, May I come and visit you, tomorrow evening? After sunset?" he asked, eyes not moving from their hands.

_Strange request_, Victoria thought. But then, she felt like, if she barricaded her window in a hurry and went to bed, she might be up around sunset.

,, Of course you can, I would be honoured." she gave his cold hand a squeeze.

,, Oh, and Vladislav?"

,, Mmn?"

,, When you get to the inn, make sure you get a room with a fireplace, and eat a hot meal. You're cold as Death." he smiled stoically at her.

,, I will…" he then lifted her hand, and kissed it gently.

,, Goodnight, Victoria." he whispered and was gone before Victoria could wish him a goodnight, too.

She opened her door and walked inside the cold house. She lit some candles and found hammer, nails and a piece of wood and nailed it in front of the hole. She found the rock on the floor, a huge, smooth lump, with black charcoal letters across the surface:

FREAK.

it said. Victoria threw it out the door, and went upstairs. She walked to her room and changed to her nightgown. She blew out the candle at the bedside table and curled up, trying to get some warmth. She hugged one of her pillows tight, and closed her eyes.

And for the first time, in many years, the last word she thought before she fell asleep wasn't 'Freak'.

She smiled in her sleep.

,, …Vladislav…" she whispered softly.

***

The inn was a great place of pure noise. As the count walked in, people were roaring to one another, everybody was shouting and it sounded like at least five mugs got smashed per minute.

Dracula made his way to the bar, twisting between all the full tables.

,, A room for tonight." he said, as he pulled out a bag of coins and placed it on the table. His eyes wandered from Thomas to the young waitresses, standing and giggling and twisting their hair around their fingers.

,, And I would like to have a meal brought to my room, if that is possible?"

,, 'course it is, sir…" Thomas said as he handed the stranger the key.

,, Me wife's doin' all the cook'in, an' one of me daughters shall brin' you the food." he pointed to the stairs, at the far corner of the room.

,, You just walk up them steps, and then it's first door on yer left." Vladislav nodded.

,, Thank you." then he walked up the stairs, leaving the merry atmosphere of the inn behind him.

Dracula was standing at the window of his room, looking out over the village, looking at the roof of Victoria's house. She lived there… All alone… Her beautiful body was lying in a bed, without anyone to rest up against… She had smelled so sweet…

_He was so hungry!_

A knock on the door made him forget Victoria.

,, Sir?..." asked a young female voice from the other side of the wood.

,, … your meal." Dracula lit some candles, people needed light, he could see fine in the dark. But, if he was going to enjoy his meal, the scene had to be right.

,, Come in." the door opened, and a young girl, a few years younger than Victoria, stepped in, a tray with a steaming plate of food and a mug of ale on it in her hands.

The girl was pretty, with auburn curls and dark eyes. Shame that the boy, Michael it was, had robbed her of her virtue. Virgin's always tasted purer.

,, Here you are, sir. Nice and hot." she put the tray down on the small table in the room, and turned around to face the room's lodger. Hadn't he been in front of her, half a second ago?

,, Sorry, sir, you startled me a bit there."

,, What is your name?" Dracula asked, as he walked to the door and closed it. And locked it.

,, Méabh, sir." she said, wiping her hands in her apron. Dracula walked up to her, and stood precisely so close that it was uncomfortable, but not enough to cause the girl reason to move.

,, Méabh, a pretty name for a pretty girl…" he said silently.

,, It means 'Intoxicating'." Méabh's heart beat faster in her chest, as Dracula leaned down and kissed her. At first, she hesitated, but then she gave in and kissed the handsome stranger back. He picked her up, she weighed nothing, and carried her to the bed. He placed her on it, and himself on top.

,, Do you know who I am , Méabh?" he asked, his lips only inches from hers. She shook her head.

,, Well, then…" he leaned down and pressed his lips against her neck, just a thin layer of skin separating him from his feast.

,,… can you guess, _what_ I am?" first, she giggled, what did he mean by that? Then, as he pulled back his head and looked her in the eyes, absolute horror replaced the warm, tingling sensation in her.

If his eyes hadn't been blue before, they certainly were now! She had never seen such colour! But the thing that scared her the most, was the long, white fangs in his mouth. Realisation struck like lightning.

,, No! Please don't! I beg you, I…" he pressed his hand against her mouth, and choked whatever it was she wanted to say. Huge tears began to well up in her eyes and roll down her cheeks, while she wrung to get free, but it was no use. She cried and fought, but Dracula just leaned down and whispered a gentle 'thank you' in her ear, before he buried his fangs in her neck.

Thomas was closing up the inn, leaving a pair of the regular drunks at their seats. As he wiped the last table clean, his oldest daughter, Satu, walked up to him.

,, Farther, have you seen Méabh? We can't seem to find her anywhere." Thomas stood and thought… Last time he had seen his youngest, had been when he had sent her up to the lodgers room with some food. She hadn't retuned downstairs, he was almost certain of that.

,, Satu, follow Me." he said and they walked up the stairs. There was an eerie feeling about the small hallway, and Thomas' farther instincts took over. He walked up to the door and rapped a fist on it, Satu standing nervously in the background.

,, Sir!" Thomas called.

,, Open this door now, or I shall do it myself!"

On the other side of the door, Dracula was half-lying, half-sitting on the bed, with a very sweet, very dead Méabh in his arms, gently running his fingers through her auburn curls, as he drained her final drops. As the banging on the door increased in volume, he sighed at gently shook his head.

,, It would seem like our wonderful little intermezzo is at its end, my dear." he said as he lifted Méabh's face to his, and placed two kisses on her tear drenched cheeks and her eyes, forever locked in that moment of sheer pain and fear.

A key got turned in the lock and Dracula looked up, as the innkeeper and a girl that had to be related to the late Méabh, burst in. As the girl saw her dead sister in the arms of her murderer, she screamed. Thomas was standing in the middle of the room, frozen in pure terror. Then, anger took over.

,, My daughter! You killed my daughter, you monster!" he shouted. The stranger got up from the bed and pulled one the sheets over the little body, in some kind of last respect.

,, Yes, I did…" Dracula walked up to Thomas and stood right in front of him. The innkeeper was shaking with rage and pain, as he slammed a fist into the empty air, where the stranger's mouth had been seconds before. Satu whimpered and pressed herself up against the wall and stood there, heart racing in her chest. Her farther looked around the room, trying to locate the stranger.

But, as he turned to face hid daughter, a pair of icy, blue eyes met his, and Thomas felt a pair of hands grabbing around his neck. A loud _crunch!_ and Thomas' body fell heave to the floor.

Satu screamed.

Dracula was still hungry, the memory of a pale-faced loner with books in her bag and a dagger in her belt, had edged its way into his mind again. He grabbed Thomas' corpse by the hair and his teeth dug into the warm veins. He shot his head backwards and tore flesh from bone. He chewed a couple of times and swallowed. Then he turned to Satu.

Her legs had collapsed under her and she now sat, pressed up against the wall, shaking like a leaf. She tried to scream, as the vampire walked over to her, but a snivelling whimper, was all she could manage. And as the monster knelt down, she begged that her death would be swift. And she sat there, eyes firmly shot and hands folded in her final prayer, as she felt a pair of cold lips press themselves against hers, and a voice said.

,, Consider yourself lucky, I am satisfied for now." then she opened her eyes, was it really all over? And then…

A creature from Hell stood before her, the skin was grey and the eyes bead black. The mouth was filled with needle like teeth, and on the back, a pair of huge wings. Satu would like to scream, but no sound came over her lips, and the monster smashed the window when it flew through it, and left Satu on the floor, next to the bleeding body of her farther and the shell of her sister.


	4. Chapter 4

Four.

Van Helsing,

Vatican,

Rome.

Victoria woke around midday, and read the first pages of her new book in bed. Then she got up and ate a simple breakfast, consisting of bread and a slice of chicken from the pantry. She got dressed and packed some of her books and went out in the village.

Already on the first corner, Victoria knew there was something wrong. The village was silent, a pressured silence that choked even the smallest bird.

Two of the villagers were standing and talking to each other, in low voices, as if they were afraid that someone might hear them. In the distance, someone was crying.

,, Excuse me?" Victoria said as she approached the villagers.

,, Can anyone tell me, what's happened?" they looked at her with pure revolt in their eyes. They turned away from her and carried on their conversation.

,, No, very well, sorry to disturb you." Victoria hissed as she walked past them.

_Idiots._

The sobbing came from the inn and Victoria's guts curled up as she saw the broken window and Thomas' wife, Brita she was called, was sitting and hugging herself as she cried. Two of her daughters, Yuliya and Pelageya, were standing behind her, trying to keep their tears inside.

If Thomas had treated Victoria like a farther, Pelageya was a sister and the more distant Yuliya, a cousin. Victoria looked at the broken window and the broken mother and then asked:

,, What's happened?" Yuliya looked at her, her eyes containing all the pains of the world.

,, A stranger came to the inn last night…" Pelageya broke down and started crying uncontrollable. Yuliya, the second youngest of the four, wrapped her arms around her sister, and continued in a small voice.

,,… and he… Well, he…" she closed her eyes and bit her lip. A pair of tears escaped her eyes.

,, It's okay, you don't have to tell me." Victoria said and gave Yuliya's arm a squeeze and walked into the inn.

A group of men, amongst them the priest and the gravedigger, stood and talked silently. Victoria tried again, third one's a charm.

,, Please, what is happened?" she asked, with the knot in her stomach tightening. At the mention of the word 'stranger', Victoria hoped that they were talking about another one than the one she had pictured.

,, Vampire." spat the gravedigger. First, Victoria thought he had talked about her, but realization struck fast.

,, Oh… And… Thomas?" the priest looked at her, sadly. Knowing her since the day she had been baptized, he had grown to care for the girl.

,, Thomas' dead, my child… And his daughter, Méabh, too…" Victoria felt very dizzy and very heavy at the same time.

…_Don'tCryDon'tCryDon'tCry…_

was the only thing she thought. Then… Méabh had died, Yuliya and Pelageya were outside… Thomas had had four daughters…

,, Satu… Where's Satu?" she asked. Now, they all looked sad.

,, Over there, girlie…" the gravedigger pointed to a chair in the corner.

,, … but I'm afraid you won't make sense of her… Poor kid's gone with the wind…" Victoria was even more confused by that statement, as she walked over to Satu. She was sitting with a little wooden figure of a deer, letting it run through her fingers, staring at nothing at all. Victoria reached out and touched her shoulder.

,, Satu…? It's me, it's Vickie…" Satu shook and began to giggle. Then she stopped and cried, then the sniggered again.

,, It's a funny deer…" she smiled and cried.

,,… Papa had it, he's in Hell now… I'm lucky! I'm really lucky! Méabh's not bleeding… Anymore… Monster, monster… I'm so lucky!" Victoria was on the verge of crying.

,, Satu, listen to me…" she begged and turned Satu's head, and stared her in the eyes.

,, …the man who came here yesterday, how did he look?" Satu whimpered and grinned.

,, Lucky, no more monster… Blue, blue eyes! Wings! Kissed me goodnight, that's what gentlemen do…! " Satu began to wave wildly with her arms, as if she were driving away flies.

,,… Lucky! I want my Papa! Let me die!" Victoria stepped back, and let Satu clam down. Then:

,, Satu, one of these days, I will make you a figure of a swan… Would you like that?" she mostly carved to earn money, but Satu would get one for free. The girl nodded violently.

,, Swan's are lucky animals… No blood!" Victoria turned her back on her and walked back to the men. She so wanted to cry, but she somehow felt, that if she did, Yuliya would be alone with the comforting of her family. And most of all, Victoria wanted to comfort Yuliya, and tell her everything would be all right, but she couldn't.

,, What do we do now?" she asked.

,,Well,…" the patriarch of the village said.

,,… we will have to make some new rules. Not being out after dark and that sort…"

,, What?" Victoria almost shouted.

,, Is that all? A curfew? That… that monster just killed two persons and robbed a third of her sanity! And you'll just hide?" her blood boiled in her veins.

,, You cannot do that, we will have to fight and get rid of it, not just hope it will go away by itself!" Some of the men in the group looked impressed.

,, And when is the last time you killed a vampire, missy?" the patriarch asked.

,, None of us are capable of killing that kind of monster. We have to hide, until help will arrive!"

,, Arrive?! That will take years! Why don't you send someone, a messenger, to fetch someone who can help us?!"

,, Because the messenger would have to spend at least four nights sleeping in the forest, if he doesn't reach a village by sundown, and I cannot risk that."

,, So, we'll just hide under the bed and hope it will go away?"

,, I don't really think you should get involved in these kind of things, miss Victoria. It's not a subject to be discussed with a woman! Now, you just run along and leave the more important matters to people who actually know what they're talking about!" Victoria so wanted to hit him, very hard. And then she wanted to go and comfort Yuliya. And then, she wanted to go home, and sharpen every knife in her house, to the point where she could run it through stone. Then, she would hunt Vladislav the vampire down, and drive every knife through his miserable carcass, using her last to pierce his heart. And then, covered in the blood of the monster, she wanted to wake up and realize, that it was all a dream, that Michael never had hunted her, and she never had met that creature, and Thomas and Méabh would be alive, and… Victoria realized she was crying. She looked at the men around her, now they would all think that she cried because of what had been said to her, and when she walked out of hearing reach, they would all talk about her, and call her 'poor girl' and they would _pity _her. Like she was a child.

She shoved past the people closest to the door, and sped through the streets. At one point, she saw Michael, but her turned and fled into the nearest alley. She ran to her house, and locked the door behind her. Her tears had died, and she rubbed her eyes. A vampire! A bloodsucking monster, how the hell could she have thought different? It was all her fault! She had let him to the village, she had told him the way to the inn!

Then, his voice crawled into her mind.

_,, May I come and visit you tomorrow evening? After sunset?" _and the most terrifying of all: she had said yes!

The next half hour, Victoria raced around her house and packed her bag. All her belongings fitted into her satchel, she didn't like the thought of leaving something behind. Books, clothes and an extra pair of boots, some food and all of her money. She had searched every corner of her house and found every coin in her possession. Not that many, but enough for her journey, if she recalled correctly. Last year, the news of the death of Dracula had raced across the country. And Victoria remembered most of the name of the man who had killed him. Helsing…

When Victoria walked out her house and locked the door, of old habit, she looked at the sun. She would have to move fast.

She had changed to a pair of black trousers, too big for he and held up by a belt. Her shirt was the same as the one she had worn the night before, still grimy from her fight with Michael. She wore a heavy cotton jacket, which reached to her knees, the colour of char. She ran to the other side of the small village, where the horse seller was. And she would need a horse.

He wouldn't sell, though.

,, Please, I have the money…" Victoria tried.

,, And why should I sell _ you _my finest horse?" he asked, not even looking her in the eyes, just standing with his back to her.

,, Well, I need it, for one thing. And you can't deny a paying customer a horse!"

,, I can with you. What you're asking for, is a full-blood Transylvanian mountain horse. Used only, that is _only_, by experienced riders, it's not a pony for little girls."

,, And I am no little girl, and I need the horse! I'm your first customer in months, you cannot afford to turn me down."

,, Watch me." he walked up to is door and slammed it in the face of Victoria, who stood and bit her lip, and watched the horse she had tried to purchase. It stood on the other side of the fence, and looked dully back at her. She had never been fond of horses, no more than cows and other farm animals. At one point she took them for granted. This one included.

She jumped over the wood fence to the enclosure and grabbed the hose by its grimes. She then led it into the barn, and saddled it. She left a purse full of money on the floor, and rode off to the church.

In the church, the priest was lighting the altar candles. Victoria liked the church, it was so silent. Her footsteps echoed in the room, as the walked up to the clergyman.

,, Farther, I need you help." he looked down at her.

,, Well, of course my child. I am always prepared to help the ones in need."

,, Remember last year, when we received news of Draculas death?" he nodded, looking very serious.

,, Well, no one in the village is prepared to take care of the vampire alone… So I thought… The man who killed the monster, I cannot recall his name…?"

,, Van Helsing." the priest helped.

,, Yes, Van Helsing! Where did he come from? Where does he live?"

,, Well, I don't know, my child. We heard he came from the Vatican, but that is all." Victoria had heard of the Vatican. It was far away.

,, Here, let me write it down for you." the priest helped. He took a quill, which sat in its ink house by the altar, so the priest always could make notes. He produced a small piece of paper, and wrote down four, simple words on it.

_Van Helsing, _

_Vatican,_

_Rome._

Quite an address. Rome was a big city, Victoria knew that much. He gave her the note, and pressed her hand urgently.

,, And I do not suppose, I could make you change your mind and stay here?" she shook her head.

,, This is something I have to do." she said, not telling _why _she felt so obliged to do it. The priest knew he couldn't change her mind, so he blessed her and let her go. She rode to the inn and placed a little carved swan in the window, and looked inside. It was cold and silent.

_...Her fault..._

And Vitoria mounted her half-stolen horse, and rode out of the village, not caring to look back once.

***

She was so tired… She hadn't allowed herself to sleep since she had left the village, five days ago… She had been riding every day and long into the nights, only stopping in the other little villages, where she fed her horse and ate some food, hardly resting, fearing what might come after her if she slept. Now, she was at the sea. And it was beautiful.

A huge, roaring mass of so many shades of blue, green and grey, all assembled in front of her. She was standing in the docks, trying to find the next ship to Italy.

When she found it, she used her last money on the tour. Her horse was led below deck, and the captain's wife led her to her little bunk bed. And, when her home country was nothing more than a dark line in the horizon, Victoria finally allowed herself to sleep, deeply, without dreaming.

She was informed, that if she helped with the chores around the ship, she would get a free meal, and so she did, the though ropes of the ship cutting through the soft skin on her hands. After a week of sailing, the ship reached its harbour, and Victoria sat foot on rich, Italian land. Her horse had eaten better than her on the journey, Victoria making sure that it did. She didn't need the food the horse could carry her. Nevertheless, the captain's wife handed the tired girl an apple, as she left the ship and gave her instructions on how to get to Rome.

She thanked the lady and rode of, reaching the city two hours later. As she led her horse through the streets, she began to think of her own country. She felt some kind of pain inside her, as she realized she didn't miss it one bit. It was just a place where she lived, nothing more. And here, in this warm country where her jacket hung from her saddle and people talked like the fairies in her books might do, vampires and blood seemed a very long way away, almost non existing.

She then reached the Vatican. And it was huge.

She left her horse by the entry and walked in, suddenly becoming very aware of her grubby clothes and her oily hair, which smelled of the salty breeze and seaweed.

She reached into her pocket and took out the note, which she had pulled out and read, over and over again, until it was about as worn as it was possible without shredding, the ink faded to a light shade of grey. She was in Rome. She was in the Vatican… Now, she would have to ask around.

She walked into a huge church, the cooling atmosphere of the marble was nice. Then, standing there, clutching the paper with both hands, panic took over.

What if she could not find him? If he wasn't even in Rome but somewhere further away? She had used _all_ of her money on this journey, most likely all in vain. Her heart thudded against her ribs, and her hands began shaking lightly.

_Failed._

Then someone bumped into her shoulder, causing her to drop the paper. Someone said sorry and bent down and picked up the paper, and gave it back to her. Someone was tall, with long, dark blond hair, dressed completely in black, with a long dustcoat swooping around him. He looked kind and smiled lightly at her, and then talked more of the fairie tale language.

,, Spiacente. Posso aiutarlo? Sembrate un poco persi…?" He stumbled a bit over the words, which combined with his murmured 'sorry' told Victoria that he wasn't from around here, but presumed that the grubby girl before him was. She smiled back, looking a little baffled.

,, Sorry, I don't understand what you're saying…" he looked relived, not having to talk the fairie language anymore.

,, Oh, you're English? Good, my Italian is very rusty…" they smiled at each other, a companion in tongues.

,, No offence, but you seem a little lost… Can I help you?" Victoria was confused. True, she didn't know much about this warm, beautiful country, but the man looked nothing like a priest. Not at all. He appeared, like her, to have been travelling for days, having just arrived moments ago. He looked like he was feeling at home, though.

,, Well, I don't know… You see, I'm looking for someone… A person I hope can help me…" the stranger smiled, not the kind of smile Vladislav had sent her. This one was kind in another way, like a brother helping his younger sister . Victoria had always wanted a brother…

,, Well, maybe I can help you to find him. You have his name?" Victoria begged to the gods that he knew the man. She handed him the note.

,, Yes, I know this isn't the most precise address in the world, but it's all I have." he looked at the note and his expression changed, from helpful to mildly surprised. He raised an eyebrow and when he talked, his tone was serious.

,, You sure, this is the man you're looking for?" he asked, and gave her the note back. Victoria nodded.

,, Yes, I'm positive. Please tell me you know him, I really need to find him."

,, Come with me." was his only reply, then he turned on his heel and led Victoria further into the cold, marble darkness of the church


	5. Chapter 5

Five.

A helping hand.

The stranger led Victoria into a dark room, with no windows and cold stonewalls. In the middle of the room stood a huge table, with a huge candle that lit most of the chamber on it, and some chairs. The man pulled one of them out.

,, Would you wait here? I'll be back in no time…" he walked over to the other side of the room, where a door so small he had to hold down his head to pass through it, stood. He opened it, and Victoria saw a flight of stairs, that led down into the ground, from where a soft, orange light and voices of every manner flowed. He turned back and flashed his teeth at her.

,,... I promise." he said," and then he was gone.

Victoria sighed. What if he couldn't help her? Why had he taken her here? Was there something wrong? Had she been torn from the fire, and thrown into the fryer?

Then the door opened again, and Victoria looked up from the paper snip.

The man had returned and, accompanying him, was a smaller man, dressed in a monk's robe.

,, All right, Carl, this girl wants to talk to us..." then he pulled the man aside, and whispered something, Victoria didn't catch, besides the word 'Transylvania'. Then the first man, the one who had led her to the room, smiled at her, as he and the other one sat down.

,, Sorry about that. This is my partner, Carl and Carl this is... Sorry, your name?"

,, Oh, no, I'm sorry. Victoria, I should have said earlier. "

,, Victoria. Very well, why have you come here?" he asked. The monk, Carl, looked at her too, and Victoria felt like she was being interrogated.

,, To see Van Helsing."

,, And why do you want to see me?" the black clad man inquired. Victoria felt a stone tumble from her head. This was Van Helsing? Well, why didn't he tell her? All this secrecy!

,, About one year ago, we heard that you had fought and defeated the vampire named Dracula, correct?" They nodded.

,, Well, now a vampire has come to my village, and I fear it has, for reasons unknown, decided to kill me or worse..." The man named Carl spoke.

,, How can you be so sure. I mean, no offend but why do you think it's hunting you?" Victoria had pondered this for a very long time.

,, I met it, alone in the forest. Far away from anything. And it didn't kill me. Actually, later that night, it saved my life. Then it killed two of my friends..." she swallowed something.

,, And it was my fault... It was all my fault, and now I fear it's after me... Actually, I don't know why I ran... Maybe to make sure it would never hurt other families, ever again..." her eyes shone in the candlelight.

,, ... please help me. I don't have any money, but I'll do anything to rid my village of this monster. I beg of you." The man, Van Helsing, shook his head lightly.

,, No, no, no, we don't charge payment. Relax, of course we will help you." he looked at Carl, who nodded in agreement. Victoria had travelled far away from her own country, used up all her money on the journey. And now it was over. She was victorious. All in all, she wanted to cry.

She didn't.

She just sat there and simmered like a pot of boiling water. Van Helsing and Carl got up from their seats and Victoria did also. As they walked out the door and down the flight, Victoria cursed for not having more eyes. It was _amazing._ Everywhere, people of every nationality walked around, made weapons or potions or other strange machinery. Every language in the world was spoken down here and everyone helped each other. It was so strange and perfect, Victoria felt like she was going to fall over. Then Van Helsing spoke.

,, Most people never get to see this. And the Vatican would appreciate your discretion in the matter." Victoria looked at a monk with a pair of great paper wings under one arm, and a leather helmet under the other.

,, Who would believe me?" she mused.

,, Ah!" Carl exclaimed, as they reached a set of tables covered in papers, books and potions and scraps of metal.

,, My working station." he smiled proudly. Van Helsing looked at Victoria with eyes that said ' _He is very proud of it... Don't know about you, but I see a table..._' She smiled. Then Carl grabbed her by the wrist, like an exited child, and led her to a part of the table dominated mostly by books and metal, and a few papers filled with notes.

,, Now, now, exactly where is your village located?" he asked and rummaged through the piles on his table, until he recovered a huge book and rapidly flickered the pages, until he found what he was looking for. He placed the book in front of her, and looked as Victoria's jaw dropped. It was a map of Transylvania, _was her accent so easy to detect? _

but not like any map Victoria had ever seen. Most of those map had only the biggest cities marked on them, and left the mountain villages alone and made Transylvania seem like a huge land of pure forest. But here, every village she had ever heard of, and many more, were marked down to perfection. She had never before realised how full of life the land was...

At some villages, either a 'V', a 'W' or a 'U' was written in red ink. Some even had 'V W' or 'V U' on them. Victoria didn't have to guess what they meant, except...

,, What's a 'U'?" she pointed to one of the villages marked by one, Van Helsing reading over her shoulder, and Carl running around the table and packing books and weapons into bags.

,, A 'U' is 'Unidentified'..." Van Helsing said.

,, ... 'W' is a werewolf, and 'V' is a..."

,, Vampire." Victoria finished. That word was like something sour in her mouth, a bitter taste she couldn't rid herself of. Van Helsing placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave it a light pinch.

,, Yes... Don't worry, we'll have that thing gone from your village in no time..." he looked at Carl, who placed something that looked like a stake made of silver in one of the satchels.

,,... If he ever get finished packing." Victoria tried to smile, but the thought of the Vampire had crawled into her mind, and felt like crying. She pointed.

,, Here... My village."

,, Good. Now, when did you last eat?" Van Helsing asked. Victoria shrugged, the question seemed so wrong in this situation.

,, Well, I had an apple on the way, but I..."

,, Carl, would you stop that? I believe it's sufficient, and we do have to carry the bags ourselves. Would you mind and go find something to eat for Victoria?"

,, Since when did I become your servant?" Carl asked, looking slightly offended.

,, Carl..." Van Helsing said tryingly.

,, Very well, I'll be your butler. But then I demand some more respect and..."

,, Carl!"

,, Yes, yes, I'm off!" he hurried away, but Victoria sensed that there were no hard feelings between the two men. They were friends, after all.

,, You don't have to get me food, I'm fine..." Victoria said, before her sight darkened for a few seconds and she had to lean on the table.

,, Never mind." she mumbled. She was very dizzy, first now the overwhelming feeling of being able to rest struck her, made her feel all the nights of lost sleep piling over her.

,, Are you all right?" Van Helsing looked concerned.

,, Yes, I'm fine. Just giddy." then a man clad in warm shades of orange and red and yellow walked up to them and talked to Van Helsing, with an accent that dripped of warm countries and spices. His head was shaved and he looked very different from all the colder nuances in the great room. Van Helsing looked at Victoria.

,, One moment." he led the other man a little way away and they began to talk about something Victoria couldn't hear and did not care to hear. She was so tired, and so hungry...

She turned her head to the books on the table, tried to forget all her waking nights. Her eyes fell on a book, almost hidden underneath the one with the maps in. Only the upper half of one of the pages was visible. She trembled. There was a picture on the page. A picture of a man... Only his eyes could be seen.

With quivering hands, Victoria removed the other book and placed it on another pile. No, surely it couldn't be...

The picture showed a man, longhaired, standing and looking very... he looked like a lord, someone who was used to being obeyed. He was dressed in strange clothes, which maybe were the highest fashion, many, many years ago.

_His face... his eyes... _

When Victoria realised who it was, she jolted back from the table, as if she had been burned, and covered her mouth with one hand. She looked in disbelief at the picture.

_No... NO!_

She felt dizzy again, and stepped back, bumping into Van Helsing, who had just finished his conversation with the monk and now stood with a concerned look on his face.

,, Something the matter?"

,, That... the picture... that man... it's... he's..." Van Helsing walked over to the book and gandered at the man.

,, This is Dracula... He is dead now, no reason to be afraid." when he turned, the look on Victoria's face made him forget his last words.

,, Victoria?"

,, Dracula...? No. It cannot be! Please no!"

,, Victoria, tell me what's wrong!" Van Helsing demanded.

,, That man... On the picture... He's the man... Sorry, he's the thing that attacked my village!" Van Helsing looked like she had slapped him across the face. Then, he almost ran to her and grabbed her merciless hard by the arms and dragged her to the table. He almost threw her head down the book.

,, This man?" she nodded, too scared to talk.

,, Are you sure? Look closely!" another nod. He moved his hands to he shoulders and wrenched her towards him. His grab tightened and he almost shouted:

,, Are you perfectly sure?! Victoria, I need to know!"

,, Yes!" she whimpered, it really hurt.

,, He said his name was Vladislav, but... He should be dead! Shouldn't he?"

,, Yes! He should!" Van Helsing said. Then he realised he was hurting Victoria, and let go of her.

,, Sorry..." she shook her head, no need to apologize.

,, Dracula..." she whispered, with a voice choked with grief. Her legs collapsed under her, and she fell to her knees on the cold stone floor. Van Helsing just stood and stared out into the air, the comprehending of Victoria's fear had made him think of the last time he had fought Dracula.

He had lost one he loved. A woman Dracula had set his eyes upon.

He looked at the silent Victoria, who sat and shivered on the floor.

If he had the same intentions with her, as he had with Anna, Victoria was in trouble. Serious, deep trouble.

Van Helsing sat down beside her, and rested his hands on her shoulders, gently stroking them.

,, I promise you, Victoria, that I will do anything to protect you." he looked her sincerely in the eyes.

,, He won't hurt you." her eyes shone brightly and a pair of tears escaped them. She sniffed.

,, Dracula... The lord of all vampires... the Prince of Darkness..." she mumbled.

,, Why is he hunting me?" Van Helsing shook his head, he did not know. He got to his feet and reached a hand down to Victoria. She took it and he helped her to her feet.


	6. Chapter 6

Six.

Nightingale in a golden cage.

Victoria lifted the spoon to her mouth, then she dropped it back into the bowl. She had lost all traces of appetite.

After Van Helsing had helped her back up, Carl had returned with a bowl of steaming, thick soup, filled with vegetables and little pieces of meat. Van Helsing had briefed him in, and now they sat in the interrogation room once more. Next to her, Van Helsing and Carl were having a lively discussion, but Victoria didn't listen.

_Dracula._

,, Well, he must have made another deal with the Devil, it's the only explanation." Carl said.

,, Yes, I know. The question is, is Dracula stronger than before, or weaker?"

,, Most likely weaker, the Devil doesn't hand out immortality to anyone. And asking for it _again_..."

,, But why is he after me?" she asked, staring into the darkness.

,, Well, Dracula fancies women, everyone knows that... But..." Carl mumbled.

,, Your surname?" she turned her head and looked at him with questioning expression.

,, Kateri. Victoria Kateri, but why should it be of any importance?" God, it had been years since she had used her last name...

,, Did you ever hear of a family named Valerious?" Van Helsing and Carl both looked at her.

,, Valerious... Yes, I knew a man, Velkan... He came to the village some years ago, hunting some werewolves in the area. He was a Valerious..." Carl leaned in over the table.

,, Victoria, are you a virgin?"

,, What?!" she yelled. What had _that_ to do with anything? Van Helsing got up from his seat and dragged Carl to a corner of the room. Now Victoria listened closely, and snapped up every word.

,, You better have a really good explanation for asking her that!" Van Helsing hissed.

,, Well, I didn't meet Velkan that many times, but wouldn't you say he was rather... handsome?" Carl asked. Van Helsing shrugged.

,, Maybe, but what do I know? And what has that to do with Dracula hunting her?"

,, Well, Dracula has sworn to kill all the members of the Valerious family... and Velkan, a young, mysterious man arrives at a small village, and maybe meets a young girl... And well, Dracula could hunt her because..."

,, Another Valerious." Van Helsing tasted the words in his mouth.

,, Precisely." Carl said.

They returned to the table and sat down.

,, Answer his question." Van Helsing said.

,, Yes. Yes, I am. And for your information, Velkan was like family in the few weeks he stayed in the village. Nothing happened." Victoria said.

,, Had to ask." Carl said.

,, I know... I just wish I knew _why it's me _he's after. I'm of no importance. This isn't right."

,, No, but when we find him, we shall find out... which reminds me." Van Helsing pulled out a pocket watch.

,, We should be going, if we want to reach the next ship." they got up, but then Van Helsing looked at Victoria.

,, Victoria, the monks will take good care of you. I've arranged that you get a room with a good view over the town, and you are free to roam the streets here. No vampire can reach you."

,, Excuse me, what?!" she cried out.

,, I'm going with you!" he shook his head.

,, No, you're not. Since he's hunting you, it's the safest thing to do. You'll stay here, and when we return, you can go back to your country." the walked towards the door, but Victoria ran between it and them and cut their way off."

,, Listen, I came here because I wanted a vampire killed. I used every coin I ever had, and travelled miles away from home. And I'm going back with you now!"

,, It's not something up for discussion." Van Helsing grabbed her by the arms and _picked her up from the floor._ He put her down beside them and Carl opened the door.

,, A monk will come and lead you to your room shortly." Van Helsing was about to close the door, and Victoria saw the key in his hand. She rushed forward and put her foot in the door.

,, I'm coming with you! Even if it means I'll have to sneak aboard the ship!"

,, Victoria..." he said, trying to reason with her.

,, ... if you came with us, we could not guarantee your safety. Stay here, please."

,, NO! I don't care about my fucking safety! Two persons are dead because of me! A vampire's hunting me, and I DON'T CARE! All I want is to know that it will never hurt anyone, ever again. And if that means I'll have to die, then so be it! Then at least, I've died for something." her eyes burned and her nostrils flared. She shook with anger and fought an inner battle to keep her tears away. Van Helsing looked impressed at her. Then, slowly, he opened the door and Victoria slipped out. After that speech, it felt a little bit awkward, but she mumbled a 'thanks' as they walked to the doors of the church.

,, You cannot be serious!" Carl exclaimed.

,, She can't go with us!"

,, Well, she have to." Van Helsing smiled at her.

,, She's the only one who knows the area around her village, including any old fortress Dracula might shelter in. Without her, it would take months." Victoria was almost about to say, that the closest fortress was five days journey away from the village, but she stopped herself in time.

,, That wasn't what you said before." Carl mumbled, as they walked out into the sunlight.

,, Well, things change." Carl sighed. No reasoning here.

,, It's rare to find such a stubborn woman now a days." Van Helsing said.

,, Well, I've always seen stubbornness as a sign of good health... One moment, I need to get my horse." she walked to the place where she had left it, and it greeted her with a look of pure boredom. Van Helsing walked around it and nodded impressed.

,, A good horse... Pure Transylvanian, right?"

,, Like I would use something else." he helped her mount it, and she smiled a 'thank you'.

Carl came up to them, with two horses by his side. They were already packed heavy with the equipment, but they looked like they could handle it.

Van Helsing put on his hat, and the three persons rode off to the harbour.

Victoria was lying on her mattress and scratching the ship's cat behind its ear. It purred and nuzzled her hand. It all seemed so very idyllic.

On her right side, closest to the door that led to the deck, Van Helsing was lying on his bed, head resting on his folded arms, eyes shot, all in all, relaxing. On her other side, Carl sat, and groaned each time the ship rolled. He wasn't sea strong.

The cat licked her hands, and Victoria looked at them, a little sad. Van Helsing had informed her, that they had money enough, she didn't need to work to earn a meal, but Victoria didn't like sitting around, not doing anything. So she worked.

Her hands were now maps of wounds, cuts made by the ropes in different stages of healing. She would scar. Huge, rough scars, the ones that never smoothed or faded.

She yawned and rolled over on her side. The cat walked around her bed and finally lied down by her feet. After a couple of minutes, Van Helsing pulled a cover over her, and Victoria slept.

_She was standing in the forest, waiting for someone. And then, Dracula stood in front of her, grinning meanly as he came closer. Victoria didn't scream, she just ran. And she knew, as one does in dreams, that he was right behind her, and before she knew it, he was sitting on top of her, hands loosening her dress. She screamed and kicked, but she knew it wouldn't work, and she knew she didn't have any weapons and she knew she was going to be Dracula's little plaything. His face leaned closer to hers, and she slapped him, hard, across it. Then he grabbed her wrists and Victoria fought like a tiger, but it wouldn't work. All she could do was scream. _

_Even though she had wanted this, for her to die instead, she screamed._

_His grip tightened._

,, Victoria! Victoria! Wake up!" someone was calling her name, and Victoria opened her eyes. Van Helsing was sitting on her bed beside her, his hands around her wrists, a perturbed look on his face. Victoria's throat was sore, she must have been screaming in her sleep.

,, Is she all right?" Carl's voice asked, standing somewhere behind Van Helsing, who nodded.

,, She'll be fine." he let go of her, and she sat up on the mattress. The cat was gone, when she had begun to kick and scream, it found it best to leave its warm bunk.

Victoria felt stupid, embarrassed and sad. She got up from her bed and rushed through the door. After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, Van Helsing followed. Carl was about to follow, but decided not to. Another wave rolled under the ship, and he felt shaky.

Victoria was standing by the bulwark of the deck, hugging herself and sobbing silently.

_Coward._

,, Victoria?" Van Helsing asked, carefully. Victoria began, violently, to rub her eyes and her nose, before she mumbled, choked with tears.

,, Yes? Sorry about waking you, I just had a bad dream." she said, begging that Van Helsing wouldn't notice her tears in the moonlight.

,, I just came to see if you were okay. It sounded like a very bad dream." he said softly.

,, It was nothing..." she sniffed. He walked up beside her, but his eyes were set on the dark horizon, where the ship was heading.

,, It was Dracula, right?" his eyes didn't move from the dark line.

,, What if it was? It was just a stupid dream, nothing more." now he turned and faced her, and his hand gently brushed her hair away from her face.

,, If you react like this, over a stupid dream, then how do you react to a real nightmare?"

,, As if my life isn't one already? He killed two persons because of me, that I know of. How many do you think he have slaughtered, while I'm here? Maybe the whole village is dead by now! And it's all my fault!" she began to cry again, too tired to hide it.

,, Why didn't he kill me?" she sobbed.

,, He had me with my guards down, and he didn't kill me. I wouldn't matter, but he killed a man and his daughter, leaving the remaining family to themselves. Satu... She was always so nice to me, and because of _him_, she will never again be like before. He should have killed me!" she covered her face with her hands, and all in all, wanted to die. Then, something very strange happened. Victoria felt Van Helsing's arms around her and heard his voice, whispering comforting to her, while he moved his weight from one foot to another, gently rocking her.

,, Ssssssssshhhhhhhh, ssssssssshhhhhhhh, ssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh... There, there, Victoria, this is what Dracula is painfully good at..." he whispered.

,, ... the bigger the family is, the more interested he is. He loves tearing them apart, leaving a few, mourning survivors." Victoria didn't cry anymore, she was so exhausted. It had been years since anyone had held her in their arms, comforted her. But then again, it had been years since she had cried, and hadn't shoved people away, when they tried to come closer. She... Relaxed. She had hardly known Van Helsing for 72 hours, but already, she seemed perfectly at ease in his arms. She closed her eyes, and rested her head against his shoulder.

,, Dracula is a pure monster... but, I swear to God, that he won't harm you..." Van Helsing continued.

,, ... No matter what." Victoria pulled her head back.

,, Thank you, Van Helsing. I really appreciate your help, and I know that the only thing that would stop you killing him, is if I got there first." she smiled, and thought about it... She wouldn't like to send the wrong signals... To make him think she liked him in _that _way. Then she gave Hell to it and kissed him, lightly on the cheek, and hoped that she didn't blush too strongly. Van Helsing just smiled back at her, and gave her one last squeeze before he let her go. Then they walked below deck, chattering about this and that's, mostly about Italian culture. Victoria was intrigued. They got back to their cabin, and went to their respective beds. But Vitoria couldn't sleep, so she got up and walked over to Carl, who was snoring and turning in his sleep. She gently tugged on his sleeve.

,, Carl." she whispered.

,, Carl!"

,, Whu.. Wha... What, what is it? I'm up, I'm up." she shushed him.

,, Sorry to wake you... I don't suppose you'd have anything that would help me fall asleep? Without dreaming?" he groaned as he got up from his warm bed.

,, This way." he yawned. They walked to one of the satchels he had packed, and he produced a wooden box, filled with little glass bottles. Carl's hands ran over them, and picked out two. Victoria was amazed; they all looked the same to her. He handed her one of them.

,, For your sleeping..." she took it, and he handed her the other.

,, ... for your dreaming. Can I go to bed now?"

,, Yes, Carl, thank you. I really owe you one." she clutched the bottles close to her.

,, Well, you can repay me by letting me sleep." he yawned again and walked back to his bed. Victoria sat down on hers and uncorked the bottles and drank their contents. There was barely a small sip in each one of them, but she decided that something, which tasted so disgusting, had to work. She lay down once more and tried to relax. At some point, she saw Van Helsing turn in his sleep, and she hoped her and Carl hadn't woken him. But he still slept, and it was contagious, for soon after, Victoria was curled up, sleeping deeply, without dreaming.

Many days later, Victoria led Van Helsing and Carl into her village. It was amazing and so very frightening, that it had changed so much in that time she had been gone.

Every window was barricaded and huge, black crossed had been painted on every one of them and every door. All was silent; no one was out in the streets, even though the sun was high in the sky.

,, Hello?" Victoria tried. She feared, more than anything else, that there was no one in the village, that Dracula had killed them all. That she was the only one left.

Then a door slowly opened and the redish/blond head of Michael poked out.

,, Victoria?" he said in a small voice.

,, Michael!" to think she was relived to see him.

,, Are you all right? Where is everybody? What's happened?" she hardly paused between the words, she was too nervous. She let Van Helsing hold her horse and walked up close to the door. Michael cowered as she came closer.

,, Gone. Most of them are hiding. Some are dead. Not you, I see." Victoria opened her mouth to ask again, but Michael shut the door and locked and bolted it. Victoria stood and stared at the painted cross. Then...

,, Satu...!" she rushed past Van Helsing and Carl.

,, What? Victoria, wait!" Van Helsing called, but Victoria ignored him. She ran faster than she had ever did before, and even though her throat was stringing and called for her to slow down, she just ran faster. She reached the inn, but stopped and looked at the sight before her, with her heart dropping in her chest. The inn looked deserted, all windows hidden beneath wooden boards and the door blocked by the same planks.

,, No." she croaked and rushed to the door. She grabbed the handle and pulled and shoved, but the door didn't move.

,, Nononononono, please no." she whispered panicky, and she slammed her fists against the door.

,, Hello? Brita, it's Victoria! Please open up!" no one came. Victoria whimpered as she tried the door again, but it wouldn't open, no matter what. After minutes of struggle, Victoria rested her cheek against the rough wood, eyes shut, trying to think of what to do next. Van Helsing's voice sounded behind her:

,, May I give it a try?" Victoria looked at him, and then stepped away from the entrance. He walked up and placed his shoulder against it. The he slammed his full body weight into the boards. Again. And again. And again.

Victoria felt very small and weak, as the door broke open. The feeling was soon replaced, and she rushed in, squeezing beside Van Helsing. She stopped as she reached the centre of the room. Everything smelled of decay and sorrow, even the dust seemed grieving.

,, Hello? Anyone here?" she tried.

,, Victoria, maybe you should go outside and let Carl and I examine this place? It doesn't seem habituated, but..." Victoria didn't listen, a sound, a small creak in the floorboards above them had caught her attention. She sped up the stairs, and screeched as she bumped into someone. The person fell backwards and hit the floor. In two seconds, Van Helsing ran from the bottom of the stairs, to the top and stood beside Victoria, pistols in his hands. Victoria looked at the small figure in front of them.

,, Pelageya?" she said and leaned down. The girl was lying in a foetus position, eyes firmly shut, shaking like a leaf. Victoria knelt down and carefully reached out to touch her. Then she looked up at Van Helsing, who stood with his pistols and looked suspiciously at the girl.

,, It's okay, she's not dangerous." Victoria said, and helped Pelageya to sit up.

,, Are you certain of that?" he asked, weapons not moving in his hands. The girl looked confused, first at Victoria, then at Van Helsing, then back at Victoria, and she flung her arms about her neck.

,, Victoria, thank God! I thought you were dead too! What are you doing here?" she cried.

,, I found someone who can help us." Victoria said. At some point, she hoped that there still was anyone to save. Pelageya was shaking violently. Victoria tried to steady her, but she might as well have tried to stop a ship from sailing.

,, I begged them... I begged them, but they wouldn't listen to me... They said, that because the monster returned back here, night after night, we were somehow its allies, and they... " Van Helsing knelt down beside her, and twisted her neck, to look for bite marks. Victoria hit him hard on his shoulder.

,, Would you stop that?! She not dead, she's just scared!" Pelageya looked at him in silent fear. Another stranger...

,, Who is he?" Van Helsing got to his feet and stepped backwards, but he still pointed the pistols at the shaking girl. Victoria's eyes burned at him.

,, His name is Van Helsing..." she turned her head back to Pelageya.

,,... He's from the Vatican in Rome, and he has come to help us defeat Dra..." no need to upset her even more.

,, ... the vampire." she finished. Then, Pelageya's words sunk into her mind.

,, The monster returned here? When?" Pelageya swallowed.

,, Two nights after you had gone, it came... Around sunset... and it killed... It killed mother... Then..." Victoria felt the tears screaming to join Pelageya's, but she couldn't, so she just sat there and listened.

,,... then... then, Yuliya followed mother to heaven, two days after... then, they said that it would be safest , if they locked us up... A couple of days ago, we ran out of food..."

,, Pelegeya, where is Satu?" Victoria feared the answer, but not knowing was even worse.

Pelegeya broke down and cried like a child, trying to keep the worst of her tears inside.

,, She hardly ate... Mother was the only one who could make her take a bite of something... When she died... I tried, Victoria, I swear I did!"

,, Easy, Pelegeya, easy. Listen, Van Helsing will help you downstairs, okay? You need some fresh air... I'll join you in a moment, and then we'll all go back to my house, and I promise that you'll be safe. That... that thing won't harm you. Deal?" the girl sniffed and nodded. Victoria smiled and got up. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in, so she could talk to Van Helsing, without Pelegeya hearing them.

,, Make sure she gets outside. And put those away!" she looked angrily at the pistols.

,, She is _harmless,_ how many times do I have to tell you?" Van Helsing frowned, but after some time, put the guns in his belt. Victoria nodded in approval, and bent down to help Pelegeya up from the floor, where she had sat and stared sadly out into space. Victoria grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet. She was still crying, but now it was quiet tears. Van Helsing looked at Victoria over Pelegeya's bent down head.

,, And what will you do in the meantime?"

,, Look around." she mimed the last words ' for Satu.' Van Helsing nodded and led Pelegeya down the stairs. He carefully talked to her, about everything and nothing. Victoria watched them as they walked out the door, before she walked down the hall. The firsts nights after her parents had left, Brita had let her sleep with her daughters in their room, so Victoria knew where to look. The door was slightly open, and a smell of decay came from it. Victoria swallowed and opened the door.

Satu was lying on her bed, eyes glassy, a line of crusted saliva trailed down her chin. Her skin was a shade between yellow and grey, and she looked like she was already halfway through the stages of rotting. The smell was _disgusting. _Victoria's eyes watered and she covered her mouth, when she felt the sour acid from her stomach pressing against her teeth. She turned and ran down the hall, then the stairs, then out of the inn. Carl was standing and talking to Pelegeya about the villagers' reaction to the vampire, and he had found her a blanket in one of the horses' saddlebags. Van Helsing walked around and knocked at the doors of the nearest houses. No one answered.

Victoria fell to the ground and threw her last meal back up. She coughed and spat sour gall, it was all _her fault!_

Van Helsing walked over to her and eased her to her feet. He didn't talk, he just led her to the horses. Victoria looked at Pelegeya, a strange numbness had taken over her feelings, so when she talked, it was not accompanied by the tears she wished she would shed.

,, Pelegeya... I'm so, so sorry... It's all my fault, and if you'll never forgive me, I perfectly understand..." she shook her head.

,, Victoria, how could it be your fault?" Victoria realised, that no one knew that she had been the one to bring the vampire here, which meant, that Michael hadn't told anyone about him being knocked down in the forest by a stranger... The silence ruled for some time, until Van Helsing talked.

,, Now, we must find a place to rest... Victoria?"

,, Oh, yes... My house is this way." Pelegeya looked terrified.

,, Don't worry..." Victoria comforted.

,, You're coming with us."

,, But... Satu... I cannot leave her..." Victoria looked at the door of the inn, slammed heavily after her.

,, Pelegeya, you'll have to. We all need food and rest, and then, tomorrow, we'll bury her... Agreed?" she nodded slightly, and Victoria led he way to her home. No one had tried to break into it, the food or values of the freak was not for the normal people, and to Victoria's relief no further windows had been smashed. She made a bed for Pelegeya, in the room beside hers, and Let Van Helsing and Carl choose whatever room they fancied, ending up with Carl sleeping in her parents' old room, and Van Helsing sleeping on the floor of the hall, outside the doors of the two girls rooms.

Victoria lighted the stove and her and Carl cooked a warm broth with herbs and meat. They ate in the candlelight, no one mentioning, but all noticing the darkness that grew outside. Then, Van Helsing suggested, that the girls got some rest, and he and Carl would watch over them in the meantime. Victoria wanted to be woken at some point, so she could take her part of the watch, and Van Helsing agreed, even though she felt like he would let her sleep, anyway.

Pelegeya was terrified of sleeping, but Victoria gave her the dagger and the key to the room.

,, Now you can feel safe. " she announced. Van Helsing looked at her, and then gave Victoria a pistol, filled with silver bullets. They all wished each other a good sleep, and the girls went to their rooms.

Victoria changed into her old nightgown, and combed her hair of old habit, eyes boring into the pair in the mirror. She looked very tired, and she couldn't wait to get some rest. She looked at the pistol on her dressing table and sighed. She got up and reached for it, when an icy hand grabbed her around the wrist and when she tried to exclaim... anything, really, a cold hand was pressed against her mouth, and she felt herself pressed up against a cold body behind her. She wrung to get free, but it was no use. She felt her attackers lips whispering softly in her hair, making ice go down her spine, as she realised whom it was.

,, My, my, I must say, I have missed you, little Victory." Vladislav- Dracula- sniggered. He grabbed her other arm by the wrist, and held both of them in his left, cold hand, pressing them against her chest and racing heart. He pressed up her back, fingers on his right hand gently caressing her cheeks and fondling her throat.

,, Have you missed me?" he teased. Victoria tried to pull away from him, tried to let out a small sound, something that could alarm Van Helsing. But it was no use. Then she felt Dracula lean down, and his lips nuzzled her neck, as he sniffed in her scent, trying to memorize it.

,, Still pure, I see. Saving herself for me. How sweet." Victoria thought about it, and kicked the dressing table, making it scramble across the floor. Within seconds, a knock came on her door

,, Victoria?" Van Helsing voice came from the other side of the door, but before she could kick again, Dracula pulled her away from anything she could make another racket. But it was too late, and the door opened.

,, Say goodbye." Dracula hissed, and as Van Helsing stormed into the room, as he froze in terror of the sight before him, as he reached for his crossbow, Victoria felt like every inch of her skin being torn into shreds, as everything around her blackened, and she felt like falling through water. She tore her head free from Dracula's hands, and opened her mouth, maybe to scream, maybe to gasp for breath, maybe both. And then she found out, that the darkness around her was a living thing, and it ran down her throat and choked every sound. It felt like when you tried to breath in pure slushy mud. She felt Dracula's arm wrapping closer around her, and she was turned towards him, so her face was protected from the darkness. She tried to wrestle free, but Dracula just placed a protecting hand over her head, guarding her from the unseen terrors of the shadows. Then it stopped.

The darkness faded, the light was turned up and Victoria managed to push herself away from Dracula. She felt a cold, smooth surface under her bare feet, a stone or marble floor. They were standing in a huge, dark room. Victoria had her back to a window, and soft moonlight turned parts of the chamber to a white and bluish colour. Dracula stood in front of her, looking beyond exhausted. He was shaking lightly and had dark rings around his eyes, as if he had been keeping himself awake since the day Victoria left. He lifted a hand and snapped his fingers; a blazing fire roared up in a huge fireplace, and huge candles spat to life in brass holders. She suppressed a gasp, letting out only a small sound. She then realised, she was wearing a thin linen nightgown and a small vest-like petticoat. She held up her arms, crossed them above her chest and looked around. It was a bedroom, with a huge bed and a wardrobe with a full size mirror beside it. All the colours were held in blood, coal and gold. She shuddered; it was so far away from what she was used to.

,, It is so good to see you again, Victoria." Dracula smiled, with a voice that sounded far too tired for him to be awake.

,, Where am I?" she hissed.

,, Well, I couldn't just let you walk around freely, now could I? After all, you have singlehandedly brought one of the finest hunters in the world to your village, after _one _night of me feeding. What would have happened if I had left you on your own?" he closed his eyes and looked like he was going to fall over.

,, And now, I have to leave you, my love. This will be your chambers from now on. I will be back later, until then you must manage to be alone." he walked to a huge ebony door, carved with stories of a long-forgotten sea battle. Victoria rushed after him.

,, There's clothes for you in the wardrobe, shoes in the bottom of it. If you need me, at _anything_..." she did not like the way he said it.

,,... at all, you just call and I will be here within seconds."

,, You are _not _locking me in here, you monster, understand me?" but, he did, slamming the door behind him, and turning the key. Victoria stood and stared at the door, not wanting to reach for the handle, knowing the door would be unmoveable. She then cursed, a sharp pain of pure rage shooting through her, and she flung herself at the door, hammering her fists against the door, shouting and cursing.

,, Let me out of here! Dracula! You hear me? Open this door, and _let me OUT!_" she slammed her shoulder against the wood, and her legs collapsed under her. She fell to the black marble floor; leaning her back against the door, all her rage was gone. She sniffed and pulled her legs up under her chin, and wrapped her arms around them. What to do now?

,, This is not happening... " she whispered. After some time, she got up and walked to the window, more staggering than walking, feeling weak from the journey through the shadows. Outside, there was a small balcony with a beautiful view over a landscape, with a steep mountain side on her right, filled with ancient pines, and an enormous drop down in front and on the left of her. It was all bathed in the soft light of the moon. It would have look very breathtaking, if Victoria didn't know who had taken her here, and what he could do to her. She tried to open the window, but it was no use. She was trapped. Like a rat. But rats escaped.

She walked to the armoire and opened the doors. It was packed with dresses of every kind, made from fabric Victoria didn't even know the names of. At the bottom of the cabinet, there where, as he had said, shoes and boots of every manner. She would have to get some proper clothes; her nightgown wasn't suitable for running and hiding, for her to break free. After some time, she found a black velvet dress, in a simple design, and a pair of small lace boots. She then sat down and waited...

Dracula had been to the nearest village and his hunger was satisfied. For now.

He smirked at the thought of the girl, locked up in her little tower. Victoria was so... interesting. Her smell and her eyes, her hair and her skin... Everything about her was so perfect.  
He found himself torn; at one point he hoped, that she had changed into one of the dresses he had found for her. That she showed even the smallest sign of acceptance for her new situation. At another point, he begged the Devil, that she still was wearing her thin nightgown.

He took the key from his coat, and turned it in the lock. The door opened, without him even touching the wood. He strolled in, and found Victoria, sitting on her bed, hands in her lap, a black velvet dress gently wrapped about her almost none existing curves. He smiled.

,, How beautiful you are, love. All though, I had hoped you would choose one of the more luxurious dresses. This one is absolutely the dullest one in the whole cabinet...'' he sat down beside her, making her muscles tense. He leaned closer to her.

,,... Let us get it off you." in one movement, Victoria slapped him across the face and stood up. She turned and faced the count, which was leaning back on her bed, looking like he was in the theatre, attending a play.

,, No?"

,, Never." she hissed at him. He sighed and stood up, walking up close to her person, making her think of the night in the forest, oh so far away and long ago. He lifted a pale hand, and placed on her cheek, running it across her face and letting it smooth her hair out. Victoria didn't protest, but she was shaking with locked up rage.

,, What a pity. You know the Turks say, that it is a sin to kill a virgin...? I can finally see now, why." he leaned in on her, his lips so close to her ear that it felt like the fluttering wings of a butterfly. A dead, cold butterfly.

,, Such a waste." he whispered and the next moment, his arms were around her, and as she squirmed to get free, screeching and hissing, he pressed his lips against hers. A muffled scream came from Victoria, who did not dare to open her mouth. Dracula continued to kiss her, breathing harder as the kiss became more intense, as Victoria's fight to tear free did too. Actually, he didn't even need to breathe, but old habits die so very hard. After what felt like a small eternity to Victoria, he pulled back, still engulfing her in his arms. Victoria had somehow managed to force her hands up to his chest, trying to shove her away from him, or him away from her. She could feel her heart pounding against the back of her hand, but Dracula's chest was still as still could be. Victoria realised she was scared. Her whole body trembled, her legs felt like she only stood because of his arms, holding her tight. His mouth was slightly opened and his eyes were slightly closed, but Victoria could see them turning the bluest of blue without problems. A low growling came from his throat, and she saw in horror, how his fangs grew. Then he looked away, and hissed silently, more to himself than to her.

,, No. Not now... Not yet." when he looked at her again, the fangs had vanished and his eyes were back to normal, icy blue. He smiled at her, desire burning in his eyes.

,, Oh, what to do...?" he whispered.

,, Virgins taste so pure, but it has been ages since I have copulated with one. And I have satisfied my hunger for the first, but the second..." his hands caressed her hips, making Victoria wanting to cry. If her plan didn't work...

,,... then again, I can always find another virgin to feed on." he took a step backwards, edging closer to the bed, dragging Victoria with him. She withered in his grasp. He began to snigger, letting his body following her moves.

Victoria was slowly beginning to panic; her plan was stupid and simple, she could never break free from this, she had failed and was now to pay deeply for the mistake. He leaned in for another kiss, one hand gently tearing at the fabric of the dress at the back, each little ´ritchzj' making it loosen around her shoulders.

,, No!" she said, not shouting but certainly not talking normally either. He stopped and looked at her, not angry or teasing, more like... puzzled?

,, Please don't." she whispered, eyes stinging with tears of fear. If this didn't work, if her stupid, childish plan didn't work, she might as well try to touch... something in him, which would make him... reconsider, even for a second, not to hurt her.

,, Please, Dracula, I beg of you..." tear ran down her cheek, part acting part fear.

,, Don't." he smirked.

,, My little angel, do not worry." he spun slowly and pushed her down on the bed, straddling her in a smooth movement.

,, I will not hurt you." he lied, for Victoria knew he was about to hurt as deep as possible, without actually killing her. She then wrung her body, and kneed him, hard, in the groin. Dead or not, that hurt on any man and Dracula groaned in suppressed pain, as he collapsed down beside her. Victoria stood up and ran for the door, hands holding the dress on its place. She fled out in a stone corridor and ran left, as right only showed a wall with a window, giving a slightly different view than the one from the room she had just escaped from.

She ran down the halls, her heels hammering against the stone floors. She must have been running in some kind of tower, for every corner turned left and she had ran down some stairs more than once. After what felt like ages, she reached the bottom of the tower, and raced out in an enormous room, with a ceiling so far up, it was almost impossible to sense in the dim light of the moon. In the other end of the room, a set of double doors stood. Two windows, one on each side of the doors, showed the top of some huge pines. A way out!

Victoria raced towards her exit and grabbed the brass handles in a small hope of the doors being unlocked. Victory welled up inside her, as the doors opened for her, and she ran out the castle, not caring to stop and look around, just run. She ran towards the woods, and felt an overwhelming sense of triumph. But then, a creature from Hell's deepest pits, swooped down on her, like an enormous bird of prey. Victoria felt all her air beaten out from her lungs, as it grabbed her about her waist, and flew up to the moonlit skies. She gathered her remaining air and screamed, she had never been this far up over ground. Her scream died within seconds, screaming didn't help on anything. She began to kick and hit the beast, but it didn't react. It just flew up and had it not been for the wind roaring in her ears, and her hair whipping against her face, Victoria would have seen how the creature aimed for a window in one of the fortresses' towers. The window opened by an unseen hand, and the beast flew in, not slowing down the slightest. Its claws trailed long, white lines on the black marble, as it landed on the floor in the middle of the room. Its feet glided slightly over the smooth surface, and when it let go of Victoria, she slammed into the wall, tumbling over the floor, the sudden flight and landing had brought her out of balance. She turned and faced the creature, lying with her back against the wall, stunned in fear.

The beast was unlike anything she had ever seen or imagined. It had huge, leathery wings, its eyes were black and the night, it had huge, needle-like teeth and it looked enraged. And before Victoria's eyes, it changed; wings got pulled back in, teeth turned back into ordinary human teeth, with the fangs a bit longer than usual, and in moments, Dracula stood in front of her. He looked furious.

When Victoria saw who it was, she got up and tried to run, to head for the door, but Dracula moved faster than humanly possible, and grabbed her on her way. His talon-like nails dug into her arms, as he forced her back into the room and flung her down on the bed. She whimpered in pain, his nails had left deep wounds. She looked up at him; he stood by the bed, eyes boring into hers.

,, You..." he proclaimed in a hiss.

,,... You should consider yourself so lucky. I could have killed you within seconds after your little run off, but I wanted to see how far you got."

,, Well, excuse me, if I'm not exclaiming my gratefulness so sincerely, but don't you dare to think that you can lock me up and expect me to stay!" she spat back. Then she blinked.

Dracula rushed forward and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back in a painful tug. He hissed into her ear.

,, You will do as I say! If not, I shall forget my kindness and devour every inch of you, starting with your chastity, understand?" Victoria's eyes were firmly shut, and her hands were locked around Dracula's one, trying to tear herself free from his grasp. She didn't answer.

,, Understand?!" he shouted. She shook in fear, but still didn't answer. Dracula pulled her head further back, enjoying the sound of her scared, little heart, but hating that she didn't answer.

,, Un... der... stand?" he murmured. After some time, Victoria opened her eyes and let some tears of pain escape them.

,, Yes..." she whispered, hating herself and most of all wanted to shout

' No! Never! You might as well get it over with!'

Now, his grip loosened and he stroked her hair, like a lover might do after coitus.

,, Good." his hand ran down and brushed her neck, nails leaving thin, white lines on her pale skin. Victoria tried to push him away, but he grabbed her arm and pinned her down.

He leaned down.

,, I might even get to enjoy this little arrangement." he kissed her, trying teasingly, to force her lips apart. Victoria turned her head, and shook with hate, disgust and agitation. Dracula held both of her arms over her head, and left a line of cold, passionless kisses down her neck.

,, Alas, parting is such sweet sorrow." he recited.

,, But I must leave you, my golden Victory. Dawn is upon us soon." he got up and left the room.

Victoria looked at the door, motionless. She lay as he had left, but after some time, she curled up, hugging herself and sobbing heartbreakingly until she slept.

Pelegeya was sitting in her borrowed room, crying. Victoria was gone, too. Kidnapped and, most likely, dead.

Everyone around seemed to go that way.

She was so busy crying, that she didn't see the tall, pale figure behind her, reaching out, fingers only inches from her neck...


	7. Chapter 7

Seven.

Reason?

Victoria woke and rubbed her eyes from tears. She did not know, how long she had slept, but it felt like night, the air in the room smelled like it. She sat up on the bed, feeling like Hell. Had she now been condemned to a life of a prisoner? She walked to the wardrobe and tried to find a dress. They were all so... well, many of them had pearls and embroidery, and Victoria didn't wear that. Wearing something you don't need, that has absolutely no purpose or function, it was so far from her. And most of the dresses had a cut down to the stomach, not something she fancied. After some time, she closed the wardrobe again, rather the torn dress, than the one that looked like they already had been torn.

The curtains had been pulled shut, but when Victoria pulled them aside, she saw the sun setting on the horizon. It all looked so beautiful.

Then she realised, that the scent of the evening was not the only smell in the room. She turned and saw, on the huge desk on the other side on the bed, opposite the wardrobe, a tray filled with food, and a pitcher of water.

_Food!_

She rushed over and tried to comprehend all the delicacies in front of her; bread, meat, vegetables, slices of fruit, cheese, biscuits and the things Victoria always forgot what was called, but she knew they were used to make wine.

Beside the plate, lay a white, embroidered napkin, with shining silverware and pearl handles. Just then, Victoria realised how hungry she was. She grabbed the huge chair beside her, and sat down.

At first she didn't even use the cutlery, she just used her fingers. Food tasted differently when eaten by hand. She ate so fast it hurt in her throat, but she was so hungry.

After some time, she slowed down, savoured the meal and washed it all down with the cool water.

At the end of her meal, she leaned back in the throne-like chair and sighed. It had been a good meal, and the knife gave her an idea. She picked it up and walked to the door, where she knelt down and placed the blade of the knife, between the door and the rim of it. Then she fingered the knife and turned the knob. After minutes of fight, the lock clicked and opened.

_Yes!_

_Triumph!_

Victoria snug out in the hall and looked at the setting sun. She didn't have much time.

The halls seem unnervingly silent now, and Victoria felt sick whenever she heard anything creak. But, after some time, she reached the great room with the double doors. Almost out, when suddenly, a voice sounded:

,, Please! Oh, God, someone help me! Please!" Victoria froze. She knew that voice. Plelegeya was somewhere in the castle, hidden behind one of the huge doors in the walls.

,, Pelegeya? Where are you?" silence. Then,

,, Victoria? Victoria, is it really you?" Victoria followed the sound, to a small door in the corner of the room.

,, Pel, try answering again."

,, Please, Victoria, I'm so scared! Where are you?" Yes! It was that door. Victoria knelt down and forced the knife in the lock, wriggling it around.

,, Pel, I'm right here. One minute, then I'll have you out." the lock clicked and Victoria swung open the door. Pelegeya was on the other side, pale as Death, but alive. Her dress was covered in blood that ran in two thin lines from her neck. She rushed forward and fell into Victoria's arms.

,, Oh, Victoria! Thank God! I thought you were dead! You are not, are you?" the last part was asked in a small voice.

,, No, I'm still alive... When did you get here?"

,, I don't know, I think... about some hours after you were gone, in the early morning. God, it was horrible! That... creature. It flew for so long, and I thought it would kill me... Then...2 Victoria shook her head.

,, You can tell me later, now we need to get out!" Victoria led the way to the door, and it opened. She paused.

,, What's wrong?"

,, Nothing... Just... Well, after last night, I thought he would have locked the doors, as a minimum..." they walked out and hurried to the forest. They walked in a fast pace, and if Pelegeya hadn't been injured, they would have ran. The light grew dimmer and the night was on its way. After some time, Victoria felt like talking would keep them from going mad.

,, Did he bite you? The vampire?" Pelegeya was walking a little behind her, keeping close.

,, No, _he _didn't." Victoria felt ice run down her back.

,, Is there more than one?"

,, The one who did this to me, was a woman..."

,, Oh, let me explain the rest." the voice sounded like poisoned honey. Pelegeya shrieked in terror, and Victoria spun to face the woman who had spoken. She was standing, a little way away, and closets to Victoria. She wore a pinkish/purplish dress, her hair was perfectly dark red and her eyes shone in the colour of foxgloves. A vampire. Victoria's grip tightened around the knife.

,, Who are you?" the woman smiled.

,, If have not seen you before." Victoria's eyes narrowed.

,, Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing." She turned her head.

,, Pel, get behind me." Pelegeya nodded and crept up in Victoria's shadow. For a moment, no one spoke. Then,

,, Do you really think you can escape me, little newcomer? No one ever does." Victoria's weight shifted, she was ready to fight.

,, There's always a first time." then the woman giggled, childish and madly, as if she found it amusing. Then she transformed, into a pale, winged monster. She lurched herself at the two girls, teeth bared in a hungry grin. Victoria lifted the knife high and prepared herself to get hit by the vampire. But when she was, the creature did not fight her, but the beast just threw her aside, making her fall and hurt her wrist, as she slammed down on the cold ground, and went for Pelegeya first. The girl screamed, as the vampire, who buried its fangs deep in her throat, grabbed her. Within seconds, Pelegeya's fighting stopped and her body fell lifeless to the forest floor. Victoria cursed, her wrist was hurting and she couldn't feel the knife between her fingers. She hurriedly took it in her left hand, and got up. The vampire, clearly, found this amusing.

,, This is what happens to anyone, who think they can escape with my food." she ran her perfect, white hand over her perfect, red lips, and dried the blood away.

,, Your little friend was the lucky one, I will take much longer on finishing you off." Victoria blinked a couple of tears away, now the last member of the family had died, because of her.

,, Again, you took the words right out of my mouth, you little whore." Victoria spat. The vampire made a face, as if she had smelled something unpleasant.

,, Well, let us put it to the test." and she flew at Victoria, all madness and meaningless hunger and beauty and rage. Victoria jolted to the right, so the vampire flew just past her. Then, she raised the knife, as the creature pitched back at her. The metal dug into her shoulder and she exclaimed in pain, Victoria enjoyed the feeling of a small sting of pride stir in her. Then she was knocked to the ground, as the vampire moved too fast for her to see and grabbed her throat in her hands. She smiled, the meanest, coldest smile ever, that made Dracula's look like a loving twinkle.

,, I do not know who you are, or what your name is, but seek comfort in this: From now on, no one ever will." she said, as she pulled out the knife, and let the blade run across Victoria's throat, only cutting in the upper layer of skin, only making her bleed in a needle-thin line. The creature licked its lips and bent down, ignoring Victoria's wrenching. Then, the vampire woman screamed in pain, as someone grabbed her by her hair and pulled her off Victoria, who rolled onto her side, to see what was happening. Dracula was there, holding the woman by her neck, like a kitten, and growling something to her in a low voice.

,, But, master...!" she whimpered. He threw her, by an enormous strength, into the nearest tree, where she cowered and covered her head with her arms. Dracula rushed forward and grabbed her by the neck again, and roared

,, You will not touch her! Never, Aleera! You can feed on the people I bring you, but do not dare to touch what's_ mine_!" he pulled her to her feet and gave her a mean shove.

,, Now, get back to the castle, before I change my mind!" she turned and gave Victoria a look of pure hate.

,, Yes, master." she spat and was gone. Dracula turned and walked back to Victoria, who tried to stand up, but in doing so, leaned her weight on her injured hand and cursed in pain, sitting on her knees and cradling her wrist. Dracula bent down and reached out his hand.

,, This will be the second time I have saved you from danger, little Victory." Victoria got to her feet, not accepting Dracula's help.

,, Save your chivalry for another woman, count." she walked over to Pelegeya's body and knelt down. Pelegeya's face was in peace, even though her cheeks were stained with tears and blood. Victoria touched her; she was still warm. She wanted to cry, but with the Prince of Darkness behind her, she didn't, it would give him to much pleasure. She felt his hand on her shoulder, and suddenly became aware of, that she still was wearing the torn dress.

,, I never intended for her to die." he said, his voice sound different, no traces of mock of power in it. Only... some kind of comfort.

,, I did not ask for you to bring her here. She died because of you, don't you dare to make this seem like an accident!" she hissed and shook his hand off. She got up and walked a little way away from him, and leaned against a smooth tree. The wood felt good, real, under her skin and she closed her eyes in a silent prayer, apologizing to the family she had killed.

,, Victory..." she turned at him in rage.

,, Stop calling me that! I hate it! And I hate you! And I don't care for my stupid purity, take it if you want! It seems to be the only way you know! My life too, if that is so goddamn important to you!

And how come, you didn't want her dead, but killed the rest of her family?!" she screamed, fighting to keep the majority of tears inside. Dracula walked slowly forward, gently shushing her.

,, Hush, my dear, do not cry. And I did not kill her, for I wished for you to have some familiar company. I thought it would make your new life easier." when he got close enough to reach out and graze her with his cold fingertips, Victoria backend away, a mocking, disbelieving and hurt smile on her face.

,, Oh, like I would believe you! You are a hollow monster, feared by everyone, don't you even think about acting the kind person!" he walked a little closer, reaching out for her arm. She jolted back, as if he had an aura of fire about his person.

,, My little Victoria, you need to rest. Come now, the forests are not safe at night-time." he said, trying to reason with her.

,, I am not yours! I never will be, no matter what you do to me! I belong to myself, and myself only, count!" when she took another step back, for she felt it was needed, she walked backwards into Dracula's arms, for he had thought it the best way, to bring her back to the castle and reason with her later. She let out a small cry and tried to break free. Dracula grabber her by her shoulders and held her body still, his face getting momentarily buried in her hair, when she moved. Then, it smoothed as she could no longer take a move, and he rested his chin against her temple.

,, See? Even because of all this, you still wish to live." he whispered.

,, And since when did you get to know me?" she asked trying to tear free.

,, Let go!"

,, There you have it! You fight! Why would you do a thing like this, if you had completely settled to your fate?"

,, Because, I have settled completely for my death, but I would rather feel that on my skin, than your touch!" she snapped and wrung away from him. When on a safe distance once more, safe being about seven feet away, she turned and faced him again.

,, If you want to kill me, then kill me, don't prolong it by your talk!" Dracula sighed and was in front of her within seconds, hands around her wrist. Victoria first tried to pull free, but the pain in her right hand made her stop.

,, I will not kill you, and you do not wish to die. There, that is a fine score, don't you think?" he said and tightened his grip, pressing his thumbs into the palm of her hands. The pain in her wrist grew darker, but then it eased and disappeared. He let go of her, and Victoria looked at her hands in amazement; the scars from the ships' rope were gone and her wrist felt mended and whole again. She looked back up at him and pulled away, she didn't want to be too near him too long at a time.

,, If you're expecting a 'thank you' I fear I will have to disappoint you." she announced. He looked at her, a strange mix of hurt and tired and hate in his eyes. As if he wanted to choke her to death, but cry over the loss of her. He held up a hand, reached out for her.

,, You still have a cut on your throat, little lambkin." Victoria's eyes shot lightning in the early darkness, the sun had set but there still was a faint afterglow.

,, I do not need you, or anything your powers have to offer...! And didn't we agree, that you'd never call anyone that again?" she turned; she couldn't bare the sight of him, and her fists clenched by her sides. The castle stood at the edge of the forest, a dark silhouette against a dark sky.

,, My apologizes." he said. He walked up to her, staying a few feet away from her person.

,, Shall I not recover your cut?" he asked.

,, Recover her, if you're so obsessed with the idea of making me feel a little less resent to you." she said and pointed to the corpse of Pelegeya.

,, At least, dig her a grave." Victoria said, not turning her head, not looking at him.

,, Aleera killed her, not me. Bear that in mind, Victory."

,, Aleera would be the whore in the ragged dress, correct?" Dracula couldn't help letting a hint of a smile show on his face; no one had ever dared to call any of his brides that, even though that was what they thought.

,, Yes, afraid so... When the Fallen God restored me to this, he gave me one of my three brides with me, as a token of trust."

,, Three? And she must be the clever one?" Victoria asked, feeling so torn in this situation; at one point, Dracula was a heartless monster, a disgusting beast, who had tried to hurt her deeply, and had made it clear that he was ready to try again, at another, he seemed so... Clever, someone she could actually have a good discussion with, a conversation like none other.

,, No... Aleera posses many great means, but her brain is not her greatest... No, she was the last to die, hence the first to resurrect. Had I been free to choose, I would have liked another... My Mariska, maybe... No, my Verona, you should have met her." was that a trace of... feelings in his voice, not gloat or mock, something that bordered on affection? Victoria was shocked, Dracula had been so heartless a moment ago, did he change with the tide? Then, she felt a cold hand on her throat and shot away from Dracula, who had moved up close.

,, Keep your hands off me!"

,, I really can help you, it would be best for you." he tried. Victoria walked further back and grabbed the knife of the ground, holding it in her, now healed, right hand.

,, How dare you to tell, what is best for me? What would be best is if I could get back to my home, and sleep and forget all this!" she thought about it, and then thought 'Why not? Can't get any worse.' Dracula walked closer and Victoria didn't stop him, but the knife was still in her hand.

,, Victoria..." his accent made her name sound so strange: _V-Ic-torreeeea,_ he rolled at some of the letters, making it sound exotic, interesting.

,, I cannot undo what has happened in the past..." he was almost close enough, just a little bit more...

,,... But, if you let me, I can make your future be spun in gold, and you will not live as a prisoner, merely as my guest..." almost, just a few more inches.

,,... all I ask for, is for you to do as I order you, and I will never harm you." he reached out to grab her and Victoria closed her eyes, as she plunged the knife into his chest, aiming at the heart. Dracula stopped in a heartbeat, looking confused down at the knife, the blade gone through his cape and coat, through his flesh, inches from his heart. He let out a gasp of pain and stepped backwards, as Victoria twisted the knife in his chest, eyes overrunning with tears. She had never killed anyone, was he to be her first?

He fell to the ground, groaning, hands scratching at the cloth around the knife, trying to get a hold of it, eyes staring blindly up in the treetops.

Victoria turned and ran, as fast as she possible could, away from the castle, away from Dracula.

Many, many, oh so very many miles away, that it should have been impossible for them to be in the same country, Van Helsing and Carl were riding through the darkness, on the hunt, but with no tracks to follow.

Victoria had been running for about two hours, the moon was high in the sky, and stars twinkled down at the trees. At some point, she was scared, maybe she had killed Dracula? Had she become a murderer?

No, how can you murder a dead thing? No matter what, she was far away from him, but needed to get even further away, needed to find a village.

Huge pines reached for the stars everywhere around her, pillars in the forest. About half an hour ago, a great river had emerged from the darkness by her right side, and Victoria followed it, hoping to find people at some point.

God, she was so tired, she had never been running like this, it was so unlike her, she wasn't build for running. After some more minutes, she had to stop or she might collapse. She sat down with a sign, hiding under the branches of a pine, where it was dry and somewhat safe.

She lay down on the ground, too tired to even sit up. The river roared in her ears, this was the kind where, if you fell in, only came up in pieces again, a coldblooded river, a killer river.

She wanted to sleep, but she couldn't allow herself that joy. Just rest, nothing more. Then, as she had settled down and was about as close to relaxing as you could be, in her situation, she heard screaming.


	8. Chapter 8

Eight.

Dracul or Dragul?

Victoria followed the screams to a small clearing in the undergrowth, and hid behind one of the many pine, only her head showed.

In the middle of the clearing, in the pale light of the moon, a man lay on the ground, withering in agony, screaming in unbelievable pain. As Victoria watched, he grabbed his skin and tore it off in huge pieces. She swallowed. Underneath his normal skin, dark fur was showing.

Then, the man turned on the ground, and his look of pain transformed into fear, as he saw Victoria.

,, Who are you? No, no, no, you mustn't be here!" he got to his feet, bones cracking as they expanded, skin peeling off, eyes turning yellow.

,, Run! Quickly! Don't look back, just run!" his face changed, features twisted, teeth grew in his mouth. And Victoria only found out, that she was in painfully deep trouble, when the werewolf stood before her, ready to strike. She screeched and turned, the monster following.

She sped trough the undergrowth, but it was no use, as the creature closed in on her. It jumped, hurled through the air, teeth bared, claws stretched out.

Victoria didn't know, what she was doing, she just did it. As she felt the figure of the werewolf behind her, she fell to her knees and covered her head, making the thing fly over her. But as it did, the claws that should have killed her dug into her back and tore the skin and flesh from bone. Victoria screamed in pain and looked up, just in time, to see the werewolf stumble in the river, disappearing under the muddy waters. She got to her feet and groaned in pain; she touched the cuts, feeling the blood running down and drenching the remaining clean dress, dripping on the ground, and leaving small traces of red. She looked at the river and knew, that the werewolf wouldn't return. She wondered, if she should find a dry spot and try to relax, but decided to run further. The man could have been a hunter, just passing by, but maybe there was a village nearby.

But, after some minutes of stumbling running, Victoria collapsed on the ground, too tired for anything anymore. She had lost great quantities of blood, and unless she got some help immediately, she would most likely die. She let out a small sigh. So this was it: after all she had been trough, meeting a vampire, travelling to a far away country, being kidnapped and escaped, was responsible for the death of a whole family, she was now going to die, alone in the forest. Her vision blurred, she didn't know if she was crying or if this was what happened, when you were about to die.

Then, a rustling came, as someone came walking through the forest, towards the curled up figure of Victoria. A pair of shiny, black boots came into her sight, and Dracula knelt down by her side, his face like a stone angel's in a graveyard.

Neither of them said a word.

After some time, Dracula held up a hand, as if to prove a point, and pulled his black leather glove off, one finger at the time. When the glove was off, he disregarded it on the ground. He placed his hand on her shoulder and let it move in small circles, until he reached the first cut. Then he caressed the wound and it closed up in seconds, not even leaving the smallest scar. He did the same with the other four, not saying a word. When the last injury was gone, he pulled on his glove again, and looked at Victoria, who thought that the question

' So, I see it takes more than silverware to finish you off?' was a very poor choice of words.

Dracula lifted a hand to the silver clip of his cape, and unfastened it, letting it fall to the ground in a smooth wave. Victoria didn't move, she was too exhausted.

Dracula pulled her up in a sitting position and wrapped the cape around her, making sure to cover her back and wrap her arms close to her body. Then he picked her up, cradled her in his arms, and walked back, the way he had come from, eyes locked on Victoria's face. After some minutes, tiredness took over, and Victoria fell asleep. It had been a very eventful evening.

' Good.' Dracula thought. It was always so difficult to materialize another place, when you had passengers, especially if they were awake. I took a lot of energy and the last time he had tried with her, the effort had almost killed him. Her too. Had she torn free, she would have been lost in the shadows.

Dracula kept on walking, at one step he was in the forest, at the next; he was in Victoria's chambers, walking towards her bed. He placed her on the covers, not removing his cape. Then he unlaced her boots and pulled them off her feet. And, after some consideration, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, murmuring a soft

' Goodnight, Victory.' before he left the room.

Evening. Victoria's sleeping rhythm, had changed completely, now she slept during the day, and woke with the vampires.

When she woke from her dreams, she found that she still was covered by Dracula's cape. She sat up and stretched and pulled on her boots. She was so confused, she should be angry, enraged, she had been brought back to square one, again, and Pelegeya was dead and gone. But, the bed was warmer than the forest floor, and at least, Pelegeya was with her family. Victoria would be going to Hell and reunite with her parents; Pelegeya did the same in Heaven. Werewolf or not, she was responsible for that man's death, just like the six other persons she had killed, indirectly.

Victoria wasn't hungry, so she left the food untouched, wondering if it was Dracula who brought her it.

She quickly became very bored; there was nothing to do. As the light faded outside, she sat down in the huge chair, and wondered what to do now, to drive away the boredom and to get out and away from this place.

,, Feeling better, little Victory?" Victoria shot in the air. She turned her head and saw Dracula, sitting on the foot of her bed.

,, Don't your kind knock before entering?" she asked, angrily. Dracula smiled, as he got up from the bed.

,, I will choose to take that as a 'yes'."

,, Do what you want." he knelt down by the side of the chair and lifted a hand to place over Victoria's. She moved away. Dracula mused.

,, After last night, little angel, I should be the one furious..." he said.

,, ... After all, no knife goes a deep as the one, held by a lovers hand." Victoria got up from the chair and walked away.

,, You have a bizarre meaning of that word, count." Victoria stood by the window and wrapped her arms around herself, staring out on the landscape.

,, Where I come from, 'lovers' are two persons, who care deeply and lovingly for each other." he snug up behind her, keeping his distance.

,, And we do not, Victory?" she turned, a shadow silhouette against the evening sky.

,, Victoria! Vic-to-ri-a! Understand? And how dare you to think, that I see you as a friend?

To me, you are what you really are: a heartless monster, a hollow shell, my capturer, and my torturer. Nothing more. Never. '' silence ruled.

,, At some point, I feel for you: it must be hard to have lived so long, that eventually you forget what it is like to feel, to love and care for someone other than yourself." Victoria didn't know if it was the right thing to say, but now she had said it, and there was no going back. Dracula just stood there. After some time, she couldn't bear the silence, the pressing, tight silence in the room, and she walked in rapid steps to the door.

,, Victory,..."

,, If I leave, you'll know anyway." she said, and left Dracula alone in the room. He stood and stared, sadly, at the open door. Then he walked over to the bed and took his cape. He held it by the collar and buried his face in the cloth.

It smelled like her.

The halls were huge and cool, and it felt nice to Victoria, to feel a soft breeze against her burning skin. She hated being enraged, even though it was one of her standard moods.

After some time, she ended up at a dead end. She must've been in the base of the castle, away from the tower. And a massive wall now blocked her way. On the boulder grey bricks, a coat of arms hung. She walked closer and got on her toes, so she could brush some of the dust away. There was a picture of a dragon, huge and evil looking on the metal, wrapping itself around a stronghold of some sorts. Under it, letters were imprinted in the metal. Victoria ran her fingers across it. Like poetry, some words were just _meant _to say out loud, meant to be used by the reader. Latin possesses a great deal of those words.

,, Défendere Dragul Meu." Victoria whispered.

,, Do you speak Latin?" Dracula was behind her, and on the inside, Victoria decided she needed to get used to him sneaking up on her.

,, A bit. Not much." she said, not turning. Dracula walked up and placed his hand on the shield, stocking the words in a loving way.

,, It means ' Defend My Dear.' To guard and protect anyone, bearing my family's name.

,, Défendere is Defend. Meu must be My... I thought Dragul meant Dragon. Or Devil." Victoria didn't ask him, she just stated it. She didn't expect him to answer.

,, Dracul is Dragon. Dragul is Dear. My family took the name Dracul, when my forefathers joined the holy Order of The Dragon. Dracula means 'Son of The Dragon.' " Victoria turned her head; her grey eyes illuminated the shadows.

,, Or Son of the Devil." Dracula nodded.

,, Or that, yes." Dracula had his cape slung over his arm, and he stretched it out towards her.

,, Here." Victoria didn't take it.

,, Why?"

,, Your dress is torn... " he explained. After some time, Victoria took it and slung it around her shoulders, fumbling a bit with the clip.

,, Thank you..." Dracula raised an eyebrow, even though he had heard it the first time.

,, Sorry, what?"

,, I said 'thank you'." Victoria walked past him, the cape swooping around her.

,, Don't get used to it." she realised, that there still was something to be done.

,, I'll have to bury her..." Dracula looked blankly at her.

,, Pelegeya." Victoria should have cried, felt something... But, Pel was in Heaven, surrounded by her loved ones. Victoria was locked up in a fortress with two vampires.

,, She's already in the ground, Victory."

,, What?"

,, I saw to, that she was buried. Where she fell." for about five seconds, Victoria was stunned. Then she flew at Dracula and slammed her fists into his chest and, gradually, she shoved him up against the wall.

,, No! You monster, she shouldn't be buried by her executor! Why didn't you wait? You fool, you killed her and you only buried her, because I wished for her to!" Dracula grabbed her wrists and held her still.

,, Unless you wanted to bury whatever the wolves had left, you should thank me, Victory!" he hissed and threw her on the floor. Victoria wanted to shout at him, and she wanted to cry, and she wanted it all and everyone to go away, but she couldn't. Deep down, she knew that he was right. And that annoyed her. She picked herself up and walked down the hall, ignoring Dracula completely. He just followed, watching her every move. They reached the great entry hall and Victoria walked out of the unlocked doors. Dracula followed, knowing that she would not try to run, with him being so close. Victoria walked around and scanned the ground for flowers, but found no one. She walked to the forest and found the place where Pelegeya was buried, a small mound giving the secret away. She sighed and went to her knees and just sat there, thinking about everything and nothing.

,, Strange little fools, these humans." Dracula was standing a little way away, giving Victoria some room to be alone in. Aleera crept out of the shadows, and nuzzled up beside him, his arm wrapping around her, her cold, perfect body pressed enticingly up against his. She leaned her head on his silent chest.

,, Master, why don't we kill her?" she pressed harder against him, making sure that he could feel her slightest curve.

,, It has been so long, since we have shared a virgin." she took his hand and led it over her body, Dracula's eyes not moving from Victoria.

,, And you always are, what you eat." she whispered in a sensual manner, eyes gleaming. Dracula just didn't react; he was completely focused on the silent girl by the grave. Well, almost completely, Aleera was a master of seduction. As she led his hand to her face, letting his fingers graze her lips, Victoria got up and brushed the worst dirt of the dress, before turning around. When she saw Aleera, her eyes narrowed. Aleera just smiled and let Dracula's hand down to her chest. Victoria walked past the, not looking up.

,, Think about it, master..." Aleera crooned, making sure Victoria could hear her.

,, It would be so perfect, who need her? No one would mourn her, and we could make love by her fresh carcass." Victoria stopped and turned her head, all the bitter disgust in the world in her eyes. Aleera huddled closer to Dracula, a mean smile on her face. Victoria's eyes ran from Aleera's mocking grimace, to the stone angel face of Dracula. She clipped open the cape, and let it fall to the ground, before she turned again and walked towards the castle.

,, Well, now that she is gone, master..." but Dracula tore free and went after Victoria, grapping his cape on the way, leaving Aleera with her eyes darting lightning, teeth bared in a hiss.

Victoria was standing in front of the wardrobe, digging through the dresses. She held up a silvery one.

_Too many pearls. _She disregarded it on the floor. Then, a midnight blue one.

_Oh, this is beautiful! If there is about two more in there, I can sow them together and have fabric enough for one whole dress! _Floor.

An ox blood coloured.

_How many laces can one dress have? _Floor.

She looked around, and after some consideration, picked up the metal coloured with all the pearls along the trim. She threw it on her bed and walked over to the table, where her food still sat untouched. She took the knife and sat down on the bed. She spend the next hour on cutting off every pearl on the dress, and peeling off all the threads. After that, she disregarded the torn, black one on the floor, along with all the other clothing mistakes, and changed into the grey one. Without the pearls, it would do. She was standing and looking in the mirror, when the door opened behind her and Dracula walked in.

,, Victory..." he stopped, as he saw her in the dress, back to him, head turned in his direction, her beautiful hair falling down her back in a smooth wave.

,, What?" she asked, still bitter from him, burying Pel, without her.

,, You look beautiful." he simply stated and walked up behind her, close enough to touch her. She turned and almost bumped into him, darting around him and walking to the window. She pressed down the handle and walked out on the moonlit balcony. A cold wind blew and she shivered in the cold, but she didn't mind.

,, If it is Aleera you fear, I can assure you, she won't touch you." Dracula tried, following her out into the cols air.

,, Her?! I do not fear a spoiled child, count." she spat.

,, Then, what do you fear?" she turned, fists shut tightly, looking like she would strike him.

,, Nothing!" she hissed.

,, I fear nothing, Dracula, and don't you dare to even think otherwise!" he walked up close to her, she had to lean against the marble railing. When they stood, half an inch between their chests, his lips gently moved closer, and grazed Victoria's, as he spoke.

,, I know every last one of your fears, little angel. I can hear them, screaming in your little heart, and I can feel them, when they wake. And I know what ever lurks in the abyss of your soul, every little sting of pain or pleasure I know it. You cannot keep your secrets from me, even the smallest of your desires I can sense." he said. Victoria edged around him and turned away from him, so that he could not see the look on her face, how frightened she was. But, when frightened, the human heart tends to increase its pace. Dracula reached out a hand and let the back of his fingers fondle the back of her neck, sending icy shivers down her spine.

,, I know who you fear, Victory, and I know what you fear... Without you telling me, I can easily cross the bridge to your mind." Victoria paced back indoors, and most of all wanted to lock the window after her. But she didn't, and Dracula followed, the window shutting after him, without him even touching the handle.

,, Yes! I can fear things, and so? Fear is one of the many things that separate me from you." Victoria said, picking up the dresses from the floor and throwing them into the closet. Dracula walked up and grabbed the bottom of one of the dresses, the exact moment Victoria lifted it off the ground. He gave it a teasing tug, before letting her tear it free and throw it in the wardrobe.

,, To think, you almost sound proud, because you fear." Dracula said. Victoria looked around, but didn't want to sit down anywhere, so she just walked around the chamber, Dracula trailing behind her like a second shadow.

,, I do not _fear, _count. I _feel_..." Victoria stopped, but didn't turn.

,, I know what it feels like, to kiss a person, and I know how to hate. I can cry and I can laugh, and unlike you, I have empathy." Dracula walked up in front of her, looking hurt and bemused at the same time.

,, Oh?" Dracula reached out to touch her, but Victoria shoved him brutally away.

,, Keep away from me, you parasite!" she walked up to the door and flung it open.

,, Go." Dracula walked up to her and let his fingers run over her neck, brushing away the hair and lingering on the veins. His eyes did not move from her neck as he spoke.

,, I do not think I want to leave you, Victory." she pushed away from him and shoved him to the door, in small punches.

,, I didn't ask you, count, I'm telling you." she gave him one last shove and as he looked her in the eyes, all the pain in Transylvania was reflected in them.

,, Leave me be!" she shouted and slammed the door. Dracula stood in the hall for a few seconds, wondering if he should go back inside. He listened to her beating heart and heard her, almost crying, but not quite.

,, Fuck." she sniffed and walked further away from the door. After some time, Dracula took the key and turned it in the lock.

On the other side, Victoria heard the key turn and closed her eyes, hugging herself tightly.

She found her nightgown and changed into it, blew out the remaining candles and went to bed, as the first ray of sunshine crawled up on the horizon.

,, Master, where is the little human?" Aleera asked, hoping the answer would be 'dead'. But Dracula just grabbed her and slammed her up against the wall, pressing his lips against hers. She let out a pleased moan and kissed him back, before leading him to her room.

,, Van Helsing?" Carl stepped over a pile of fallen bricks, covered in moss and vines. Van Helsing was standing in the middle of the roofless ballroom in a long ago abandoned fortress, crossbow by his side, looking at the early sunrays.

,, No one in the village have heard of any vampire attacks recently..." Carl said. Van Helsing cursed and walked past the friar, out of the ruin and back to the horses.

,, Well, then we'll just have to look further, haven't we?" he said and mounted the horse, his promise to Victoria ringing in his ears:

_He won't hurt you... I promise... Victoria, I swear to God, I will do anything to protect you... I promise... Promise...._


	9. Chapter 9

Nine.

Hollow...

Victoria poured the cold water into the bowl and splashed it in her face, drying herself with a soft cotton rag. She was tired, even though she had been sleeping the whole day, waking up in the evening. It still took some time, waking up with the moon.

She only ate a slice of the bread, a fresh plate of food had been put on table, and the old one had disappeared.

She wanted to go outside, to breath some fresh air, but the door was locked and the window, too. Apparently, Dracula didn't wish for her to roam the fortress on her own. And, after the last two nights, Victoria could understand his resentment.

But there was nothing to do. No books to read, no boxes to go through, nothing. As Victoria started to walk around the room, restlessly like a tiger, a 'click' sounded from the door. She walked up to it and looked suspiciously at the handle. She slowly placed her hand on it and pressed it down. The door opened. She peeked out the door, fearing for something bad to happen, for Aleera to jump out of one of the shadows.

,, Hello?" she called. The echo returned her voice, a murmuring choir of whispering 'Hello's entwining with the silence and the darkness and the shadows and the magic.

After some time, she walked down the hall, carefully watching the shadows and dreading to run into Aleera or Dracula. She just wanted to be alone.

After about half and hours of walking, looking back over her shoulder at the smallest sound, always making out the outline of Dracula in the corners, she reached a great door in the stone wall and found it to be unlocked, as she pushed down the handle. She walked into a huge room, which smelled of dust and stories and was lit by the moon, shining through the windows. A library.

Delighted, she walked further in and let her hands run over the backs of the many books, lingering on the soft or rough cover beneath her fingers. Beautiful.

As she stood and tried to read the gold letter on the back of a treatise on dragons, apparently, the huge metal torches on the wall blew to a flame, letting the soft light penetrate the shadows. As the one closest to Victoria burst to life, Dracula's face appeared out from the shadows as he stood, leaned against the shelf in front of Victoria.

,, Finding something of interest, Victory?"

,, Why should you care?" she asked and walked to the other side of the shelving. She saw a dark book on the top shelf, with silvery letters saying

_Shakespeare_

on the back. She wanted to get a hold of it, but it was too tall for her to reach it. She blinked and the book was gone. Dracula placed a hand on her shoulder and Victoria turned around to see him, grinning teasingly and holding the book in one hand. 

,, A romantic story, perchance? The Merchant of Venice? Romeo and Juliette?" Victoria walked past him and tried to ignore him.

,, Considering where I am, count, Macbeth might seem more appropriate." she walked for the door but when she pressed the handle down, it didn't give in to her touch, it was firmly locked. Her heart increased its pace, not much, but still some.

,, Leaving so soon?" Dracula stood behind her, arms crossed triumphantly; the book was lying on one of the tables that had been placed in the library, so the owner of the castle could choose freely where to sit.

,, Well, apparently not." she leaned up against the door and, likewise him, crossed her arms.

,, The key?" Dracula produced a brass key out of the blue air and held it up in front of her. Victoria was suspicious at first, but she wanted to get out more than anything else, so she walked to him and reached for the key.

When her fingers were only inches from it, Dracula pulled back his arm, taking the key with him. Victoria reached out for it again, but when she took a step forward the key disappeared, Dracula looking rather pleased with himself.

Victoria realised how close they were standing, their lips almost touching as Dracula had tilted his head slightly to one side. He leaned closer in, slowly closing his icy blue eyes. And, for a fraction of a second, Victoria leaned towards him, too.

Then she tore free of the voices in her head and shot away from Dracula, keeping herself out of his reach. He just stood there, smiling triumphantly, even though Victoria could feel that he hadn't felt her, trying to welcome his lips brushing against hers. The kisses Dracula had placed on her lips were the first she had ever tasted, not including Michael, and she didn't want to. But... he was evil! How could she even think of him otherwise?!

,, My little Victory, you seem slightly bewildered. Is there something wrong?"

,, No." she said, a little to quickly and hurriedly walked away, disappearing in between the many shelves As she walked, she tried to convince herself, that it had not happened: Dracula had killed the persons that had been like a family to her, he had torn her away from everything she knew and held dear, he had tried to rape her

_No matter how you cushion that blow, the meaning of the words will never change._

she had been locked up by him,

she had been rescued by him, he had mended her wounds, he had fed her, hehad even made her smile on several occasions.

_But he's a vampire! He kills people!_

_Van Helsing kills, you didn't resent him. And they only feed on people; they don't necessarily have to kill them._

_He tried to rape me!_

_But he didn't. _

_Does that mean I have to like Michael too, now?_

_Is Michael a person you would kiss?_

_No, but neither is Dracula._

_Then why did you do it?_

_I'm tired! I have hardly eaten for the last days! A friend of mine is just dead! Because of him, mind you._

_And he did lock me up here... You're right, I hate him!..._

_Don't I? _

,,Victory?"

_He gives me stupid pet names._

Victoria was standing alone in the longest shadow she had been able to find, arms between hugging herself and crossed in fury. Dracula appeared from around the corner of the bookshelf.

,, Ah, there you are." he reached out his arm, hand stretching for her to take it.

,, Come with me. I have something to show you." Victoria wanted to say 'No', but she got an idea.

,, If I follow you, can you take me outside afterwards?" he gave a small nod.

,, That would be only fair, Victory. Now, walk with me." Victoria walked past him, not taking his hand. They reached the door and Dracula opened it, not bothering to touch the wood. They walked down the hall, Victoria keeping her distance to Dracula, not knowing if she feared him, of feared what would happen if she came too close. If he read her soul and saw that she, on a very small level, was beginning to doubt his wickedness. After some time, they reached a door with ornamented carvings of a dragon on it.

,, This door is never locked." he said, Victoria not knowing what to answer. The door opened and Dracula led her into the room; a huge bed, with white silk pillows and sheets and blood coloured covers, stood in the middle of it and a chest painted in black and gold stood by the foot. A huge mirror hung on the wall and a cold fireplace was to find under the looking glass. A wardrobe stood by the far wall and a huge bearskin was placed on the marble floor before them. Dracula snapped his fingers and the fire spat to life, alongside some of the candles in the brass holders.

,, I have to learn that." Victoria said, eyes running around the room, trying to figure out, why he had taken her here. The bed gave her an idea, but Victoria hoped that it wouldn't go beyond that point: an idea.

,, This is my chamber." he turned towards her.

,, Was my chamber... The door will always open to you, but to no one else, if you do not wish for them to. Not even me." Victoria was stunned.

,, Whenever you feel in danger, this will act as your sanctuary. Remember when I told you, to call my name if you needed me?" she nodded, trying to comprehend it all.

,, If you feel in danger, call me from here, always make sure to be safe. Understand?" she looked confused.

,, Uh, well yes, I think... But why do you tell me all this?" he walked closer to her and reached out his hand.

,, Come."

,, No."

,, I won't hurt you."

_My little angel, do not worry. I will not hurt you... _

His words ran through her mind, bringing her back to that night in the bedroom. She shifted her weight and stood her ground.

,, No." he frowned and moved towards her, faster than possible, and grabbed her by the wrists.

,, I hereby give you the freedom of my castle." he whispered into her ear, Victoria trying to tear free. He let go of her and she stumbled backwards.

,, What?"

,, From now on, you will only find the doors to the outside locked, everywhere else you can roam as you desire." she looked at him, eyes narrowed and misbelieving.

,, Why?"

,, For you, as a present, I have given you limited freedom. Why, is because a beautiful flower like you should be able to go where she wishes." she shook her head, a hurt smile on her face.

,, There is no such thing as 'limited freedom', count. Either you are free, or you are not." her eyes glistened.

,, I am still your prisoner, no matter how much you expand the bars, this is still my cage." she walked towards the door, but he grabbed her arm.

,, My dear Victory, you need to learn some manners." he hissed and drew her further into the room.

,, When you are given a gift, you thank the person who gave it to you." she fought to get free, but his grab was merciless. She tried to strike him, but he grabbed her other arm.

,, Either, you will thank me, or I shall take back my bestowal." he forced her closer to him, a familiar glow in his eyes.

,, A kiss would be quite sufficient." he pulled her closer and titled her head, hand grabbing her painfully hard by the neck.

And then, Victoria realised, that she didn't wish for Dracula to be in the room, and he was gone...

A roar of pain and rage ran through the fortress, as Dracula was pulled from Victoria and sent hurling across the hall outside the door to his old room. He was slammed into the wall and leaned heavily on it, before turning towards the door, a look of pure hate in his eyes. His scream had attracted attention and Aleera cavorted out from the shadows, in her half dancing manner of running.

,, Master..." she said, not knowing where to begin. He turned towards her in a flash of hate and shouted so the stones trembled.

,, Leave!" Aleera walked closer, red lips in an enticing pout, eyes glowing. Last night had been glorious; it had been so long since they had made love.

,, But, master..."

,, LEAVE!!" he screamed at her, sending her whimpering and crying back into the wall.

,, Master..." she sniffed, cowering before him.

,, You will leave! Now!" and she was gone. Dracula turned to the door and the beating of the heart behind it.

,, My sweetest Victory..." he began, voice back to normal.

,,... I apologize sincerely, if my passion for your sweet touch startled you. Please, come out where I can hold you, and I shall show how truly sorry I am." Victoria stood on the other side of the door, looking meanly at the wood.

,, Give me one good reason for why I shouldn't stay in here?"

,, Well, you will need to eat... "

Damit! He was right.

,,...And, I did promise you a stroll outside, did I not? Please..." he walked up and placed a hand on the wood, relishing in the sound of her heart beating faster, almost to a fast paced waltz.

,,... open." after so long time, that Dracula thought Victoria had not heard him, a weak click sounded from the door, and the handle was pushed down and Victoria walked out in the hall.

,, Now then.." he offered her his arm.

,,... A romantic saunter by the moonlit forest?" Victoria did not accept his arm; she still hated him for being right. It was deeply annoying.

They walked to the hall and the doors opened. As they walked out into the cool breeze, Victoria's dress swooped around her and her hair danced in luring waves around her head. She held up her hands and tried to hold her hair down to her head.

,, The eastside of the fortress might provide us with some shelter from the wind." Dracula said and led her to a small, peaceful garden, with a stone bench with a spectacular view over the dale. The wind howled around the forest towers, but there was not a wind moving here, only a soft breeze. Victoria sat down and tilted her head backwards, looking up at the starry sky and the silver moon, with some dark clouds gathering nearby. Dracula sat down beside her, and did not make a comment or protest when she edged further away.

After some time, he spoke anyway.

,, I never did show you, how sorry I was, now did I?"

,, No, and I do not want you to!" she looked at him.

,, How come, that every time you seen to be just a small amount of human, you change into this... monster, who only knows of taking by force?" he shrugged and smirked.

,, Well, after having lived for so long as I have, you forget what it is like to feel. Wasn't that what you said, Victory?" Damn! He was right again,

,, Well, isn't it in your nature to try and prove people wrong? The Vatican thought you was dead, you're not. I thought you treated me kindly because you cared about me, and how I felt..." she gestured around her.

,, ... clearly, I was wrong too." the wind changes and its icy breath washed in over the two figures like a tidal wave. Victoria cursed and shivered in her dress; her old jacket would have been perfect for this. The clouds over their heads had flown closer and a small drop on Victoria hand told her, what kind of clouds they were.

,, It's going to rain." she stated and stood up from the cold bench.

,, Thank you for letting me breath some fresh air." the rain was falling in a steady pace now. Dracula got up and held out his right arm, holding the trim of his cape in his hand, making him look like some kind of huge bird.

,, Here." he walked closer to Victoria and held the cape over her head. It was uncomfortably close to him and Victoria didn't like it and would have preferred to get a little rain on her. It would be refreshing; being locked up in her room with all the candles, that lit every time she woke, and the huge fireplace, always glowing with embers, gave her a feeling of total delirium, the warmth always lulling her into some kind of numb trance.

,, No thank you." she said and skittered out from his towering shadow.

,, I would prefer if you didn't get drenched." he said and lowered his arm, but still held on to the trim of the cape.

,, This bit of rain hardly consists of quantities near drenching, count..." she walked away from him, along the wall of the stronghold towards the corner that would lead them to the entrance.

,, Still, you might catch your death." Dracula tried and walked up to her left side, hand tightening on the cape trim.

,, And wouldn't that be a shame?" Victoria said as they turned the corner, the doors to the castle waiting for them. She looked so sweet in the shadows, her long, smooth hair tousled by the wind and disarranged by the rain. In no time whatsoever, Dracula stood in front of her and his arms wrapped themselves around her, first the left then the right, engulfing her in the cape. She spat him in the face and tried to push him back, but he was too strong for her. He just stood there, not teasingly trying to kiss her, just stood and looked at her.

,, Let go of me!" Victoria hissed. He didn't. He leaned closer and buried his face in her hair, sending shivers down her spine. She kicked him below the knee, but she couldn't make him react and it was impossible for her to reach any taller. She froze in shock as she felt Dracula's mouth open and he placed them on her neck, gently sucking and biting. If Victoria hadn't fought back this picture might provide many a romantic person with an idyllic image; two lovers, carefully hidden by the shadows, sharing a moment of equal passion.

,, Dracula, let go of me!" she said aloud and tried to break free of his arms, but it was no use. She let out a whimpering growl, of fear and disgust and hate, as his cold tongue lovingly passed over her neck, remaining at the skin over her vein. She let out a series of cursing breaths, as she felt his teeth carefully biting around the throbbing vein, not breaking the skin. Then she vociferated as his fangs grew and tried one last time to tear free. She ducked under his arms and ran away from him, not to the forest but to the castle; he had provided her with a room for this type of situation. Without quite knowing _how_ for Dracula could have caught her within seconds, she reached the door and it opened to her touch and she fled inside, slamming it heavily after her. As she walked in, flames blazed up in the fireplace and candles lit.

_I want to be left alone... _She thought.

_No Dracula, no Aleera, nothing. _

After the last word had left her mind, Dracula's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

,, Victory, let me in. I understand how it must have felt to you, but let me pass and I shall proclaim my most sincere apologizes.

_I don't want to hear him!_ Victoria held up her hands and covered her ears, but Dracula was silent. She did not know, if he was gone or if the room had sheltered her ears, and she wasn't in the mood to find out. She sighed and slipped out of her dress, leaving it slung on the chest by the foot of the bed and crawled under the covers in her silken petticoat, most kindly donated by the Prince of Darkness.


	10. Chapter 10

Ten.

No thorn goes as deep as a roses'.

,,... and love is more cruel than lust." Victoria had heard the poem long ago, and when she woke in the room belonging to Dracula, the words crawled back into her mind once more. She sat up and stretched like a cat, all her muscles had tensed with anger as she slept, so now she needed to stretch out. A growling like the werewolf's from the forest rumbled through the chamber. Victoria looked around but found the noise to be her rumbling stomach. She was hungry.

And since no one could enter the room, on account of her wishing to be alone, there was nothing to eat. And, in that lightheaded manner a hungry person tumbles into, Victoria walked out in the hallway and headed for her room.

The door opened to her touch and the candles lit as she walked in. The window gave her a spectacular view of the golden evening light, just after the sun had set. There was no food, though. The table was empty. She sighed and sat down in the chair and closed her eyes, still tired form the night before. When she opened them, not five seconds later, a bowl of steaming soup with a slice of thick bread stood in front of her. She looked around, but there was no one in the room.

_Strange._

She grabbed the spoon on the napkin and ate in huge slurps, so she wouldn't burn her lips, only stopping to take a bite of the juicy bread. When she was done eating, she decided to take a walk around the castle, fearing for the boredom to crawl out from under a chair or the bed, if she did not keep herself moving.

After some hours of pointless walking about, Victoria began to think the fortress abandoned; no matter where she went, an eerie silence lay over the room like a veil of some unfortunate bride. She wanted to call out, to call Dracula's name just to hear his voice answer. She did not like being alone like this. After about half an hours of inner battle between her pride and her solitude-like feeling, she gave Hell to it all.

,, Dracula..." she mumbled softly, barely able to hear it herself. He did though.

,, I thought you whished to be left alone, little Victory." Victoria spun around to see Dracula, but even though his voice had come from the behind there was no one there. She shifted her weight and tensed her muscles.

,, Look up." she did. Far above her head, hidden in the soft shadows Dracula stood, upside down. It was hard to see him at all but his eyes and the gold in his earring gave away a soft glow.

,, I do." she said with her head leaned back against the ceiling.

,, I was just curious to find out, if you had vanished completely but apparently, I am not that lucky." she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to se Dracula, a cold smirk on his face and eyes glowing with their never ending pride. Victoria briefly turned her face back towards the ceiling, but of course Dracula couldn't be there.

,, My, my, and I who thought that you felt alone." Dracula smiled as they began walking further down the hall, no point in staying put.

,, You think too many things which turn out to be wrong, count. Try to broaden your petty horizon from time to time. You might even learn something."

,, Why, aren't we in a foul mood this evening?" a door swung open to the and they walked into something that might have been a ballroom, but now was a silent, dusty and sad place. The once black and grey marble floor had turned into a colourless pool of dust and shadows. A long line of mirrors, now aged and spotted with damp, had been inserted in the left wall, making it look like Victoria's identical twin walked a few feet away. The right wall had huge windows in it, so the moon could shine in and illuminate the room with her soft rays, but far too tall for any person to look out and relish in the splendid view of the dale. Under the windows, an ancient table stood. Once it had been filled with all kinds of foods and drink worth the most noble of royalties, but now it just stood there, covered in dust and cobwebs.

Two balconies stuck out of the wall above their heads, one small for the musicians, one great and heavily ornamented for the long gone couples to stand on and look down at the dancers below. Victoria looked around as they walked further in, but kept up her argument.

,, If it hadn't been for you count, I would maybe be in a more agreeable mood now."

,, Oh?" they stopped in the middle of the room, the greatest of threes dusty chandeliers hanging far above their heads.

,, Do not act like that, count!" she growled.

,, I have come to terms with my role in this, but don't play like you have forgotten!"

,, Your role in this, sweetest Victory?"

,, You keep me alive for one reason and that reason only, count: entertainment." he raised and eyebrow.

,, You could have killed me too many times to mention, but still you refused. And that is because you enjoy playing with me, like the cat and the mouse. To see me open the slightest up to this life, but always shutting back again, when you feel like watching me suffer." it hurt saying the words, but the truth always hurt someone.

,, I do not know if you are waiting for me to plunge into insanity, or to break utterly and bow to you every whish, but just do it quickly and get it over with!" she was shaking now, fear and hate and pain and age ad collided within her and were now fighting for the right to invade her mind first. She held his eyes in hers and for a moment, no one spoke. Then Dracula stepped forward and held out his arms in a greeting and protecting manner; as if he was to bow for her and then wraps his arms around her.

,, Victory, you are confused. Come, let me escort you back to your chamber." she shook her head.

,, I am not confused. It took me some time, but I can see things clear now. Either kill me, or leave me to rot." he reached out and stroked her cheek, his cold fingers brushing over her burning skin. She sniffed and looked away, eyes shining brightly.

,, Little angel..." he whispered comfortingly.

,,... you need to lie down... If I lead you to your room will you promise me to rest for a while?" she flew at him and slammed her fists into his chest, shoving him backwards with every punch.

,, Either kill me..." she spat.

,,... or leave me!" talking to Dracula was like looking at a coin toss: the coin flew through the air, both sides showing so fast that it was impossible to tell them apart. But then the coin would fall to the ground and one of the sides would always show. Only one and not always the one you were betting on.

Dracula grabbed her by the shoulders and flung her into the mirror-wall. She felt dizzy as the back of her head slammed into the glass and she, very inelegantly, fell to her knees. Through her heavy lids, she saw Dracula walking towards her, a mean and loving grin on his face.

,, My dearest Victory..." he said and leaned down to stroke her hair. Then he grabbed her by the roots and pulled her to her feet.

,,... you always whimper about your sad, little life. And you always beg of me to rid you of it." Victoria's heart raced in her chest and made her veins look beautiful in the moonlight. Dracula hurled her across the room and she exclaimed in pain when she hit the far wall, bruising her shoulder as she fell to the table. She groaned and whimpered as she crawled down and stood swaying on the floor, dizzy and tasting blood in her mouth, her ribs aching from the blow. Dracula was gone.

Then she was tackled hard and was sent stumbling across the floor, before she fell and hurt her lip, as she bit hard into it to prevent her from screaming. Slowly, oh so very slowly, she got to her feet and swallowed as her mouth filled up with her warm, metallic and salty blood. She looked around, but the room seemed deserted. She spun around, as quickly as her bruises and dizziness let her, not wanting to be surprised.

,, Behind you." Dracula's voice whispered in her ear. She spun towards him only be backhanded and sent back to the floor again. She groaned as her head connected with the dusty marble. Everything went blurry and clouded for some seconds. Then her vision cleared and she saw Dracula towering over her, like a vulture. She coughed and spat blood as he walked up to her and placed his square-toed boot against her cheek. He tilted her head so she could look up at the dirty chandeliers, her body felt sore but tense, too tired to fight back but fearing he would kick her. She felt blood run down over her face, from the corner of her mouth, her bitten lip and her nose had apparently decided to join them.

,, Tsk-tsk-tsk. Little Victoria, do you not love your life?" he asked. She felt the blood build up in her mouth again and coughed violently.

,, Such a waste." he said and knelt down beside her. He placed a hand on her chin and wiped some blood of her face with his tomb. He lifted his hand to his face and watched, as the blood trailed down his finger. His tongue slithered out from his lips, long and slim like that of a monster and it moved hungrily just above the surface of the thin line. Then he reconsidered and wiped the blood of in his coat.

,, Little Victory, how you bleed... You can make all this go away... One word, and I shall never hurt you. One little word and I will make all of your nightmares go away..." he had to fight the urge to dance to the beat of her scared little heart, it was so beautiful that he could not believe it. He now had her where he wanted to, she was deeply locked in fear and pain. His domain and his world.

,,... Victory, all you have to do, is to vow that you will never leave, never put up a fight, never speak against me..." he leaned down and whispered softly into her ear, trying to ignore the insane beating of her heart.

,, Say 'yes', Victory." he nibbled her earlobe, gave her time to think even though he knew she was going to answer it, anyway. It would be impossible for her not to say 'yes', he had broken her last straw and plunged her into the deepest pit of fear.

Then, something unexpected happened. Victoria coughed silently and began to laugh; despite her hurting ribs and her bruises, she laughed like a child, ignoring the pain that shot through her body.

,, The little prince is mad..." she mocked.

,, ... for he cannot seem to get his way, unless he hurts and claws his way to it." she turned her head and her bright eyes shone like pearls.

,, And no one ever loves him, for they do not dare to show any other feelings than those their master allow them: fear and pain and undertaking, as they loose every inch of themselves on the way to the grave.

And the prince..." she had to stop to swallow blood but continued thereafter.

,,... and the price locks himself up in his castle, and finds himself some brainless girl and takes her under his wings, turning her into a cold and dead thing like himself, so she can forever fulfil the darkest of his desires without complaining or questioning, as she had lost her willpower long ago..." she closed her eyes and giggled, hugging her aching sides and letting tears of pain mix with the blood on her face. After some time, she stopped and looked at him, eyes dripping with hate and revolt.

,, Never, count. There you have my answer: Never." she had defied him. This little ingénue, this shepherdess, this stupid girl had contravened him! HIM, the lord of darkness had been spoken against at, by a... girl! The greatest warriors in the Turkish armies had broken under his will, his people had bowed before him, but this girl was more stubborn than both of the two nations put together!

In a flash, he grabbed her by her shoulders and slammed her up against the mirrors, making them break and send a rain of silvery glass down. Victoria looked like a faerie trapped in a spider's web, the broken mirror she was pressed up against looked like some kind of lacework. She groaned silently in pain, but forced her head up and looked at Dracula through her bloody and tangled hair. Blood ran down over her face and she looked like Hell... And she smiled, not insane or accepting or calming. She smiled in a mocking beam. Dracula fought to keep his surprise inside and tightened his grip, pressing her further up against the wall and letting the paper thin shards of glass cut their way trough her tender skin on her back. She clenched her fingers in agony.

,, Victoria, this is no game!" he said in a growling voice.

,, I will kill you, understand?" she looked at him in some sort of insane triumph, she had won. He could not comprehend that she wouldn't bow to him and that filled her with proud delight.

,, Then kill me, count Dracula, Lord of Vampires and Prince of Darkness. Why do you care so much for a petty little human, anyway?" a tear ran down her face and trailed a relatively clean line after it. Dracula let go of her and she fell to the ground, groaning and hissing in torment. He stepped backwards and looked at Victoria in disbelief. Victoria pressed her right hand against her side and fought her way to her feet, her left hand getting deep cut as she leaned against the broken mirror. She shoved herself away from the wall and staggered out in the room, not looking at Dracula, eyes shut in pain. But after only a few steps she tripped and would have fallen to the ground, if Dracula hadn't flashed forward and grabbed her. She coughed silently and blood drained from her mouth to his uniform-like jacket.

,, Coin-toss..." she croaked as he eased to his knees and shifted her weight, cradling her in his arms.

,, Sorry?"

,, Nothing." he lifted his hand and let his fingers run down over her face, as if he had killed her and now paid his last respects.

,, Rest now, Victory. I won't hurt you anymore..." she looked at him, sad and disbelieving.

_Liar. _

But she slowly closed her lids and slept in her half-hypnotized suffering.

**Note: The poem in the beginning of the chapter is taken from one of the Sandman comics, written by Neil Gaiman. I do not own it, or any of the Van Helsing characters (execpt the ones I have created, Victoria and others.)**

**Thanks for the reviews, everybody!:D**


	11. Chapter 11

Eleven.

Opposites attract.

Victoria moved in her sleep and groaned; she felt like Hell. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself to be in the familiar surroundings of her room at the castle. She ran a hand through her hair and forced herself to sit up; she was wearing her petticoats, her dress was lying neatly folded on the table on her left. She looked at her shoulder, that should have been bruised heavily but it was as pale as non-bruised as a shoulder could be.

She got up and pulled her dress on, fumbling with the ornamented silver buttons at the front. She took the grapes from the plate and ate them slowly as she walked to the window. But no matter how hard she tried, the handle wouldn't move. She sighed and went back to the table and poured fresh water into the ornamented bowl. She searched the small vanity-like drawer in the wardrobe and found a silver comb with a rose made of rubies with emerald leaves.

Then she washed her hair and combed out the crusted blood. She dried it shallowly and let the damp ropes hang down over her back; they could dry by themselves. She walked towards the door and opened it; she wanted to go to the library and find a book she could lose herself in, whishing it could be forever. 'Opened it' was maybe too strong a sentence, for the handle stopped halfway down.

_Locked!_

,, He wouldn't dare...!" she hissed and tried to force the door open, but it was no use.

,, That... that..."

,, 'That' what, Victory?" Dracula sat in the chair, looming like the vampires in her stories might do; all hate and evil and rage. Victoria turned.

,, Liar. That liar."

,, I gave you freedom in exchange for your gratitude, Victory. You could have thanked me, but you refused. Then I refused to let you walk freely. Fair is only fair, is it not?" damn him to the deepest pit of oblivion! Right again. She gave a small nod.

,, Is it possible for me to go outside?" she asked, looking at his chest, not wanting to look him in the eyes.

,, Maybe..." he got up and walked up close. Lacking knowledge of personal space indeed.

,,... but I believe that you ask politely."

,, Then it is not possible." she said and walked past him. He turned and followed her as she sat down on the bed.

,, Victory, am I correct when I sense some resentment in our romance?" her eyes shot lightning.

,, You... shut... up!" she hissed in a low voice. He sat down on the bed on her left side and leaned back, making himself comfortable and slithering on the covers.

,, Alas, another commotion shows at the horizon I fear."

,, Would you leave?" he sat back up and leaned closer towards her.

,, Victory, would you care to look me in the eyes?"

,, No." she turned her head for did not know if he had tried before, but she didn't care for to be mesmerised. Then she was grabbed abruptly, by her chin and he forced her head around. She screeched and clawed at his face, leaving thin scratches that healed within seconds. He forced her back into the bed and placed himself on top of her to keep her body from squirming. She hit him hard in the face but it was no use and when his icy pools forced their way into her mind, her arm fell limp less down on the unmade covers. Her body stiffened as her world turned to icy winter days, blue skies and the seas she had crossed to Italy. She lost herself in this world of never ending blue starring in horror and amazement at the sight. She only vaguely felt Dracula's tombs stroking her cheeks as if he was wiping away tears, but when he spoke she could do nothing but answer.

,, Listen to me, Victory..." it was like he was talking from somewhere far away through several doors and she was trying to overhear him.

,,... Last night... remember what happened last night...?" she gave a small nod and a whispering yes, as the memories of pain and fear washed in over her like waves at the coast.

,,... Good... Last night, remember how scared you was... remember the fear and the pain, remember I could and still can kill you..." her muscles tensed at the memory.

,,... Remember how I could make it all go away... remember..." she did, as she drowned in an icy lake and flew under a winter sky, she remembered. As she bathed in a silent river, as she tied up her hair with blue ribbons, she remembered.

,,... Now I want you to think it over again..." her heart raced and slammed her sore ribs, her cuts and bruises returned and the dizziness veiled her mind at the thought of the pain and the fear and how he could make it all go away... One little word and it would all go away...

,,... And I want you to answer me... I can make it all go away, Victory... Just say the word and it will all go away..." Yes! He had her now! Maybe she had been brave once before, but to experience it all again and feeling the blood drain from her cuts and run down over her face, forever locked in that moment of pure fear again... He had her! She licked her lips and swallowed something.

_Yes!_

Dracula's mind hissed in triumph, almost forgetting himself and loosing his grip. Her rosy-pale lips parted and she spoke one, soft word.

,, No."

***

,, Vampires? No, we haven't had any vampires here for years..." the man scratched his beard.

,, Maybe higher up north, they've had some nasty creatures in the last centuries... Mostly werewolves and such, but a few vampires too..." the tallest of the two men gave his thanks and they rode off in a hurry. Van Helsing clutched the reins in his grasp; every night they did not find Victoria and Dracula was one night further away of finding her alive...

***

Victoria was walking at the beach in bare toes, feeling the blue water and the soft sand under her feet. The blue sky above her was dotted with white birds and she had a blue flower in her hair and a blue glass pearl around her wrist in a blue ribbon. But as she bent down to pick up an icy blue shell, she was torn from her silent and peaceful world and arose to a real pain and a real fear, as her back connected with the wardrobe and knocked it on its side with a great '_Wham!'._

She looked around in bewilderment, what had happened? One moment, she was fighting with Dracula, next thing she knew, she was lying on her back on the floor, bleeding from several cuts she thought had disappeared and from three or four new. She sat up and whimpered in pain as all the cuts from the night before burned in an encore and her back was sore from the connection with the wood of the closet. Dracula was standing by her bed about 25 feet away, looking like he was seconds from turning into that winged demon. His eyes were pith black pools of rage and his fangs had grown in his mouth. A deep growling came from the back of his throat. As Victoria watched him in front of her, he flashed and grabbed her by her neck and forced her to her feet and roared in to her ear.

,, Why?!" he shouted before hurling her like a ragdoll across the room. She slammed into the wall a little left of the window and tried to pick herself up, tried to turn and face him, to get a chance to fight. But he was too quick and grabbed her by the arms and flung her back across the floor, and she screamed as she hit the mirror and slammed it to pieces on the floor before landing on top of it. In a crazed flash of a second, Victoria wondered how many years of bad luck she had earned, with the mirrors she had broken in the last hours. Then Dracula was over her again and next thing she knew of, her sore, bruised and cut back was pressed against the wall and her feet dangled above the floor, Dracula's icy right hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing but not too hard, prolonging her pain.

,, Why?" he hissed as his nails dug into her skin and Victoria saw her blood mirrored in his black eyes. She didn't speak; fear and pain had choked her. He tugged her dangling body up close to his face and whispered with a voice trembling with wrath.

,, Why? Victoria, I swear to the Devil that I shall ravish you until you plead salvation and drain your little body to the last drop... Answer me!" he shook her violently and slammed her back against the wall. Victoria was blown away by the fact that she hadn't died or fainted. She swallowed and whispered in a low, anguished voice.

,, Because, no matter what you do to me..." she twisted as a deep cut in her left hand tore open and let a stream of blood run down her fingers, dripping in a small puddle on the floor.

,,... No matter what, you can never make me love you... And because of that, you are slowly going mad... Because you cannot comprehend, after all those empty years filled up with your marionettes... that you have to force me to stay at your castle... to stay here with you..." her eyes shone with pride and triumph.

,, And I _pity _you, Dracula... For of the two of us..." she coughed up some blood, which was hard when dangling above the floor in the clutches of a vampire.

,,... you are doomed to be alone forever, whereas I only have to endure this in one lifetime..." she smiled and coughed more blood.

Dracula was stunned.

He let go of her and turned away, eyes darting in all directions as they turned back into their icy blue, not knowing what to do now. Victoria groaned and tried to stand up, but she found it to be useless. She shut her eyes tightly in unbelievable pain and edged out on the floor, away from the wall and the silvery shards of the mirror. Then her insides was set on fire and she let out a whimpering gasp and coughed up several millilitres of blood, as her broken ribs cut their way through her lungs. She cried silently as her arms caved under her and she curled up in a ball on the floor, begging for the pain to go away. She spat some more blood and watched the world turn grey and billowing.

Dracula had his back turned at her but it would take a dead man to overhear her vomiting up blood. Eyes still darting around, he waved his hand and the huge wardrobe stood up, not a scratch to be found. Then the mirror flew to its ornamented feet and the silver pieces that gave mirrored fractions of the room gathered and flew into their place in the frame. Through her fading vision, Victoria saw the covers on the bed ruffle and stretch out; apparently Dracula didn't think she would be sleeping there tonight. She blinked the tears away and smiled; Aleera had been right... No one would miss her... No one would mourn her...

Dracula turned towards the curled up figure of Victoria as her rasping gasps for air became more desperate and weaker. He looked at the blood she had vomited and waved his hand and made it disappear. Then he strolled over and knelt down by her side and grabbed her by her shoulder and turned her so she was lying on her sore back. Her eyes were closed in immense pain and huge tears tumbled down her cheeks. He lifted his right hand and placed it on her stomach, spreading his fingers widely.

,, This here, little Victory, will hurt." he said softly. And it did.

As her ribs was pulled back on their place and the tissue and flesh mended, as her cuts and bruises healed and as the small crack in the back of her skull disappeared, Victoria first whimpered, then cursed, then screamed as the pain unfolded like a flower and all her senses got turned back up, even though she had lost both sight, taste, smell and feeling. She wrung and twisted under Dracula's hands, but his grab in her was too strong and she could do nothing but curse him to Hell and cry. Her arms and legs cramped in pain and she tried to scratch him and kick him, but it was no use and he only let go when the last cut he had caused was gone. She shoved away his hands and stumbled to her feet not knowing where to, just knowing it would be a little way away from _him._

,, Victory, when mesmerised, people tend to get dizzy... Maybe you should sit down?" she didn't turn but she shook her head and stumbled on. Then Dracula flashed and was in front of her. Victoria shot back, but he didn't reach out for her, didn't try to catch her.

,, Victory, come here..." he waved a hand and the door to the room swung open. She shook her head and her eyes burned.

,, _I... Hate... You_." she spat and tried to turn her shaking and dizzy steps into a proud swagger. Dracula sighed and grabbed her by her arm and pulled her towards the door. She slammed her heels into the ground and tried to tear free, but Dracula was still in a nasty mood and he just dragged her with him. When she tried to hit him he shook her violently and her unsteadiness escalated and she groaned. He pulled her out in the hall and dragged her to his old room. The door opened and he almost threw her inside. The fireplace lit and the candles spat. He waved a hand and a plate of food appeared on the chest by the bed. Victoria winked and tried to rid herself completely of her giddiness, as Dracula pushed her down on the bed and leaned in so their eyes met.

,, You will not let anyone enter, understand?" she blinked.

,, There's enough food for you for the first few days... You will not open the door to anyone and you will stay in here... And don't you dare to try and go outside of these walls!" Victoria thought she still was mesmerised, this didn't make any sense at all. Dracula turned and walked to the door, but before he stepped outside, he turned and looked at her one last time.

,, You... will stay... here." he said slowly, like she was in need to be lectured on the matter. Then he walked out and slammed the door after him.

After some minutes, Victoria sighed and leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling for hours before finally sleeping.

**Ooohhhh, I really loved writing this chapter; not only because I, like many others maybe you included, enjoy a good brawl, but my favourite colour is blue and I really liked writing about that... Don't know why you should know, but now you do:D**

**And I would like thank ALL of you, who found time to give a review or two! Balm for my mind, I'm cartwheeling around my house:D**


	12. Chapter 12

Twelve.

Heartache.

Dracula was sick.

Even though he would never admit it, something was wrong. Very wrong.

As he walked to the ballroom he had to lean against the wall several times, a burning and throbbing pain stinging through the left side of his chest. He let out a groaning gasp of pain and clutched his hand over the spot. What could be wrong with him?

As he reached the silent ballroom, stood for a moment and reminisced, eyes closed as his mind drifted off to his truly greatest time...

_It was the lord's birthday tomorrow, and he had decided to celebrate it with a banquet. A ball of immense glory. _

_The count swaggered through the room, dressed in gold and pitch. The mirrors shone brightly and reflected the dancers and the huge chandeliers; everything was doubled in its glow. The sound of the music mixed with the laughter and the talk, the whispered lover's woo, the ruffling of a thousand silken gowns, the low breeze from the women's flowing hair and the promise of never ending passion. On the great table on his right, all kinds of food and wine had been displayed to perfection and under the enormous buffet, young children crawled and giggled and laughed amongst themselves, little girls messing up their dresses and little boys losing buttons and scraping their knees. _

_Moving with skilled steps around the room where his servants, trays with empty and filled glasses in their hands, nodding and smiling humbly to the guests. Everywhere he walked, people stopped their dancing and bowed to him, showing their great respect._

_Glorious!_

_Around in the corners, small huddles of the younger women and men gathered and they spoke in low voices whilst looking nervously over their shoulders, to make sure the gorgeous creatures they where referring to didn't stand behind them, girls smiling sweetly and boys blushing nervously when the person they gathered courage for to ask of their hand in the next dance walked by. Above their heads on the balcony, some of the older couples had gathered, and stood and talked about the joys of being young again. _

_The count heard whispering and turned his head; at his right, a small group of beautiful women had gathered, talking in low voices about him. He smiled at them and they all curtsied, cheeks turning red and shaking lightly. In reply, he clacked his heels together and gave a deep bow to the ladies, who started giggling and blushing furthermore. He walked on._

_Everyone was dancing. The centre of the room was crammed with people, spinning and twirling to the string quartet. Two young girls, no older than eight, had grabbed each other's hands and tried to copy off the adult's moves, causing them to spin giggling around the room, not caring if they were out of tune. It was their dance, for they had made it up. One of the girls, a Scandinavian blond in a purple dress spun around and tripped in the hem of the silk, stumbling to the floor in front of the count, who stopped and looked down at the two girls. The other one, a freckled ginger girl in a green dress, sped after her cousin but stopped as the count knelt down in front of them. He reached out his arms and grabbed the fallen girl under her own arms and helped her to her feet._

_,, My, my little one... Are you injured?" he had said as the girl straightened her dress and spun around and made the fabric twirl. _

_,, No, I'm all right." she smiled and showed the count and the rest of the room, that she was missing a front tooth. Her cousin walked up and gave the count the same, childish smile. He smiled back._

_,, And are you two enjoying my party?" he asked. They nodded eagerly._

_,, Oh yes sir, very much!" the blond one said._

_,, Well, then I am happy." he smiled._

_,, When the two most prominent guests are pleased, so am I." the ginger on straightened up._

_,, Well, actually, I think there could be some more cake, sir." Dracula laughed, a long and warm laughter that made people turn and smile at the sight. He stood back up and waved a passing servant to him._

_,, You there. Go to the kitchen and inform them, that we need more cake immediately." the servant nodded, bowed and hurried off. He turned and smiled at the two girls._

_,, Now, I hope that you will find the meal to you liking." they curtsied, a little clumsy and then ran off into the ever moving crowd of dancers._

_,, Mother, mother, mother! Did you see that? He talked to us!" one of them shouted. He smiled and turned to see a beautiful woman standing in front of him, dark red hair and dark red lips. He bowed to Aleera and she curtsied._

_,, May I ask for this dance, my lady?" she smiled and took his hand._

_,, Yes."_

Dracula hissed in torment and closed his eyes in agony, as unbelievable pain flooded his chest and almost forced him to his knees. What was happening to him?

Victoria was sitting on the floor of the room, leaning her right side against the side of the fireplace and starring into the orange flames. When she had woken from sleep, she had found a door in the corner of the room, which she was sure of hadn't been there before and it had revealed a bathroom on the other side. She had washed up and left her dress on the damp floor and now sat in a dark blue male's kimono, with her wet hair trailing down over her damp back. She had pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her right arm around them; her left hand held a brass fire poker and, now and then, she ruffled up in the glowing embers and sent golden sparks in the air. She sat and stared into the magic glow and lost herself in her memories...

_Victoria was seven years old. Her dress was crusted with dirt at the bottom and her shoulder cut, tousled hair stood out to the four corners of the earth._

_She was running through the streets of the village, pockets crammed with biscuits and a small sheet under her one arm. She had agreed to meet with her friends in front of the inn and she was running a bit late. When she turned the corner, she saw four auburn headed girls turn towards her and they all greeted her with waves and smiles._

_,, Hi..." said Victoria and dug her free hand into one of her pockets and proudly shared some biscuits with them. _

_,, You said you had a new game for us to play, Victoria." Satu said and the other three nodded._

_,, Yes, it's a great game!" Victoria said eagerly. She turned and ran and the girls followed._

_,, But we need to got to the forest first!" she shouted to them, and they increased their running._

_Well out in the forest, Victoria led them to a small clearing, with a boulder in the middle and huge trees towering over their small heads._

_,, Okay..." Victoria crawled up on the rock._

_,, The game is this:" the sisters in front of her fell silent, Victoria always had the best games._

_,, I am a vampire." she announced and unfolded the sheet and wrapped it around her shoulders like a shawl. She grabbed the hem of the fabric and waved her hands in the air, so the sheet looked like a pair of wings._

_,, And the game is not to get caught by me. If I catch one of you, you will be the vampire and I won't." the others listened and smiled of joy. They weren't allowed to talk about vampires, it was said to bring bad luck, so to play vampire was like committing a crime against the village and its patriarch. And that was a good thing._

_Then Victoria flew towards them, sheet trailing after her in the breeze. The children screamed and parted as Victoria landed and set after Méabh. She caught the laughing girl by using her 'wings' as a net and wrapped her in it. _

_,, Now you are a vampire!" she laughed and ran away as Méabh hunted Victoria and her sisters around in the forest._

_Hours later, five grubby girls, laughing and munching on half crumbled biscuits walked though the twilight streets of the village. As they turned up on the doorstep of the inn, Brita stepped out and looked at the children, hands resting on her hips and shaking her head._

_, Why, would you look at you! Five little trolls at my door, and they're looking hungry." she stepped away from the door._

_,, In, all of you." the girls walked in, in close goose formation and Brita placed them at one of the tables, where freshly baked buns and marmalade and four small mugs with milk had been arranged. As the girls ate they talked about vampires and other monsters, while Brita walked around the table and tried to scrub off the mud on their faces with a towel. They had all laughed and smiled and Victoria had tried to feel how it was, to be a part of a real family._

Victoria blinked and dried the tears of her face. She looked at the vicious-looking brass poker in her hand; she whished more than anything else, that Dracula would be in the room with her... She would break open his skull and make him _suffer._ She remembered the time in the library where she had almost let him kiss her.

How could she have been so stupid?! He had played with her and she had fallen for it right away. And now she had been locked up in here for gods know how long...

_No, you are free to go. He just _said _that you shouldn't._

_Why?_

_Well, he gave you this room for protection... That includes from him... Maybe he was afraid that he might hurt you...?_

_Oh, of course! After the last two nights, he must be terrified for seeing me break a nail! Idiot!_

_What do I know? Were both fools..._

_Oh, shut it._

She got to her feet and walked to the chest and took the plate with the food on it. Bread and fruit, things that lasted long. She placed it on the floor and lifted the lid; inside the chest some of Dracula's old clothes was lying, folded and dusty. The wardrobe contained most of his fancy dressings for parties and such; it was there Victoria had found the silk robe she was wearing, so she had calculated that his 'ordinary' clothes must be elsewhere. She pulled out a pair of black trousers and a dust grey shirt with a black vest. She changed into it and found some old, almost worn to the limit boots in the wardrobe. When she was done, she looked at her reflection in the mirror; this was her. This tousled, foolish little tomboy. Not a single curve showed she could go for a boy. Stupid and weak and pathetic, this was her. Not some faerie princess or a countess in expensive dresses, just a stupid shepherdess!

Victoria felt very sad and began crying silently.

She hated Dracula because of so many things; he had killed her only friends, he had locked her up in this place...

she rubbed her eyes and walked to the bed where she sat down and pulled off the boots. Her eyes flowed over again and she didn't bother to keep the tears inside anymore.

... he had, and that was the worst of his crimes...

Victoria grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it tight as she curled up in foetus position and looked painfully out into the air.

... he had made her feel special... like she really meant something...

she buried her face in the pillow and sobbed violently, her body shaking with every tear.

... He had made her feel special...


	13. Chapter 13

Thirteen.

'Special'.

It had been three days since Dracula had banished Victoria to her shelter and she hadn't defied him yet... Sometimes, he was nervous that she had died; maybe he hadn't mended some severe yet unseen wound? But he calculated every stroll around the castle to go past her door, and he still could hear her heart beating, slowly and steady. And sad.

He wanted to be with her, to talk with her... He _missed_ her, she was the only person he could have a decent talk with or just be with her and enjoy the cosy silence.

Missed her... the words sounded so strange... It had been some time since he had missed anyone...

But he knew that the door would open for him, when she thought it right. And that did not necessarily mean that she would... Well, stop hating him...

He looked at the door and sighed.

Victoria was sitting in the bathroom, waiting for her bath to cool a bit of. She had changed back into the kimono and sat with her back leaned against the white marble of the tub. In here, the floor was polished blacker than black and Victoria saw her mirrored shadow beside her. The walls were black marble too, and a golden mirror hung on her right and golden, ornamented candleholders stuck out on either side of it, cream white candles burning steadily in them. Around the room other candles stood, melted to the floor in their own wax, giving a soft glow to the room. Under the mirror a table stood, filled with silver boxes with dried up flowers and bottles of scented oils. The tub, which stood on golden lion feet's, had two pumps at the one side, one with icy cold water and one with scolding hot. The mouths of the pumps were heads of dragons and the water gushed from their jaws when Victoria pushed down the lever. She had poured some small purple flowers into the water, which made it smell sweet and spicy and of fresh air. Lavenders, the flowers were called.

Victoria didn't know why she bathed every day, but then at least she had something to do. And it annoyed her that she didn't know how long she had been locked up... There were no windows in the room, so she could not see the golden sun or the silver moon, but when build, the room had properly provided the owner with some protection, since no assassins could enter from the outside and the doors had been firmly locked.

She slit out of the dark silk and stepped up into the water where she sat on her knees and washed herself. Then she closed her eyes and ducked under the scented water; when her head emerged again she truly looked like a faerie. Her long dark hair had the mauve blossoms in it, and steam rose from her pale skin in a fragrant mist. She grabbed a comb that balanced at the edge of the tub and ran it through her hair and let the flowers slip back into the water. She closed her eyes and sighed, as she clutched the comb hard in her hand.

Why did everything had to be so _confusing?! _

She hated Dracula, she was entitled to it... But he had made her feel like something... But was that enough reason to forgive him? Because he made her feel special? No, it wasn't...

But...

She got up from the bath and wrapped the kimono around her. As she stood in front of the foggy mirror she made a face, all pain and confusion, and wrote one word in the condensing water with her finger, before she blew out the candles and left the room:

FREAK.

She walked to the chest in the bedroom where her borrowed and disregarded clothes lay. She changed into it and sat down by the pulsing embers to let her hair dry.

Why did everything have to be so difficult?

,, Master, you seem troubled..." Aleera slipped out of the shadows behind her master who was standing in the ballroom once again, staring into the broken mirror before him. She slid in front of him and looked up at him with her pinkish-purple eyes.

,, Aleera, remember when we shared dances in this room?" she nodded and her lips curled up in a smile.

,, Yes, master... It is very long ago, is it not?" he sighed and tore his eyes from the place where Victoria skull had slammed against the glass, looking down at his bride.

,, Yes, it is... Tell me, how did it feel? To dance that night?" she thought about it and smiled after some considering.

,, It was wonderful, master!" she smiled. He shook his head.

,, No, you fool. It was horrible, don't you recall?" she looked embarrassed.

,, Well, of course master! Silly little thing like me, I don't know I'm saying."

,, And what if I told you, that it was the best night in my life?" he asked, chest aching so he had to clench his fists in pain.

,, But it was, master, it really was!" she said and smiled alluring. He just looked at her, meanly and sad.

,, Leave me." he hissed and turned away from her, walking further into the room.

,, But, master... I..." he revolved around himself, fangs barred and eyes black with fury.

,, LEAVE!" he roared in the voice of his demon, making the chandeliers quiver and dust fall off them. Aleera cowered and was gone.

Then the fire ignited in his chest once more and he roared in pain, causing Aleera to hide under the covers of her bed in her room, and Victoria awakening from her half-sleep by the fire in her room. He staggered towards the table and grabbed it, nails digging into the wood before hurling the whole thing across the room and made it smash into the opposite wall and break the remaining mirrors. How could anyone live with this pain? It was unbearable!

He clutched his aching sides and leaned against the wall with a groan, eyes locked shut in this unbelievable torture.

Victoria shuddered. She didn't like the way it had sounded, like some unseen hand had murdered Dracula. But no one dying could make that painful roar, it was too... alive. She got up from the floor and walked to the door but she stopped with her hand on the handle.

Was this the right thing to do? He had 'locked her up' in here so she could be protected... Including from him... If he was angry, maybe it was best to leave him alone and...

_Sit here and sulk and rot in your little room._

_Shut... Up!_

_I'm just saying, that maybe it would be a good thing if..._

_SHUT UP!_

After about five minutes spend at the door, hand resting on the polished brass and eyes boring into the wood, Victoria cursed and turned to walk further into the room. She picked up the plate with the food, standing solemnly on the chest and sat down on the bearskin by the fire. There was only one slice of bread and two apples and some grapes left, so sooner or later, Victoria had to venture outside. She took one of the shining red apples and ate in a miserable silence.

Dracula wandered the halls of his immense castle, alone and in pain. In the last days, something had been terribly wrong. His chest hurt and ached as if he was on fire, but he never burned. Sometimes, when he had been thinking about the old days, how he had danced with Aleera and been respected by _everyone_, how he had hunted with Verona in the vast forests and she somehow always won, and how he had found out that Marishka was ticklish and had spent most of a day hunting her around the castle, always catching her and both of them laughing, the fire would burn up and it would feel like a huge sea had taken it's place, and he would drown inside, but always survive. Then, when he thought of Victoria and her words, the deep ocean in his chest would rise to a storm and he would burn and drown and somehow survive and crave for more... To be with her, instead of just thinking of her.

Victoria sat by the fire and sniffed; now and again, Dracula's face appeared amongst the burning embers and she would try to stab the fire poker through him and slit him in two, so he could feel like how it was, but his face always disappeared and she was left alone, not knowing what would happen if she ever saw Dracula again; if she would cry and embrace him or, most likely, cry and try to hurt him. She looked at the meanly shaped poker in her hand; it looked more like a weapon, like some king of small halberd. If she pierced his heart, he would not rise again. She eyed the point of the brass.

A heart for a heart.

Dracula was standing on the balcony in the ballroom, looming over his former glories like a hawk. He didn't know what to do now, Victoria was locked up and probably never wanted to see him again, even though he more than ever wanted to talk with her... She had infected his illness in some way, and maybe she knew a cure...

He was so lost in his own thoughts, that it took him some seconds before he realised what was going on. Something had changed. His head shot up and his eyes pierced the darkness.

The barricade was gone! Victoria had opened it and now he was free to enter the room. Without a moment's hesitation he materialized in his old chamber, where Victoria sat on the floor with her back to him.

,, Victory..." he said in a clam voice and was somehow saddened when she didn't react like she had used to, she just turned her head slightly and looked at him.

,, Please go." she said. She sounded so tired that Dracula was nervous; maybe she was sick? He walked closer and reached out to touch her.

,, Victory, are you well? You seem... altered." she got up from the floor and first now Dracula saw, that she was wearing some of his old clothes. She looked stunning!

,, Go." she looked and sounded like she had been crying.

,, Victory..."

,, Don't call me that!

Just... Just leave, I want to be alone." Dracula feared for a moment that she had closed the barrier again, but since he hadn't been torn from the room it was still open. This was momentous.

Victoria looked at him, hurt and confused.

,, Go." she whispered, but not to him. It was more as a test.

,, Go." she tried again. He shook his head.

,, Afraid not, Victory." she twisted in discomfort.

,, What does it take to make you stop calling me that?" she rushed to him and pushed him towards the door. She smelled of lavenders and apples, Dracula stated. It was nice.

,, Go, I don't want you here!" he still wasn't torn from her. He grabbed her wrists not meanly, just firm. She looked at him, eyes overflowing with hate and pain and...

he sighed inwards.

... Fear. She was afraid that he would hurt her. He had broken a small yet vital part of her spirit.

,, Victoria..." she stiffened. The last time he had used her name, she had been close to dying.

,,... I am not here to hurt you..." he whispered and tried to give her wrists a comforting squeeze.

,, But you wanted me to be here, so I came..." she tried to tear free, but he wouldn't let her.

,, No, I want you to go!" she spat.

,, Victoria..." he loosened his grip and let his hands run up and down her arms, finally settling on her shoulders.

,,... If you wanted me to go, I wouldn't have been in the room..." she drowned into his blue eyes and he lost himself in her grey pools.

,,... a part of you maybe wants' me gone, but a stronger is letting me stay." he thought that she would fight or scream and call him a liar, but she didn't. Her grey pearls shone with tears that she blinked away and she talked in a small voice, like she was scared to hear the words.

,, What is happening to me?" he shook his head.

,, I do not know, but I do know that we both could do with some fresh air." she didn't protest and he held her closer to his body, chest boiling with the fever he had caught.

,, Relax." he whispered but she was still as tense as before. Seconds later, they stood outside. He let go of Victoria who looked around in silent joy. They were standing in the small garden on the eastside, a soft and cooling breeze gently blowing. A silent mist lay about their feet and the sun was rising in the horizon, giving an illuminating glow to the foggy pines in the dale. She sighed and let the cool wind pink her skin and tangle her hair.

Air.

She sat down on the dew-wet grass and leaned against the bench. Dracula sat down beside her. For some time no one spoke, the silence talked and they listened. Then...

,, The sun is rising..." Victoria said.

,, Yes..."

,, We should go back in..." she sounded a lot better now. Freer.

,, 'We?"

,, Well, you. But I'm not allowed outside alone..." her old tone had returned; she was healing.

,, That is true, but..." she turned and looked at him, slightly puzzled.

,,... maybe I can give you some time alone. Out here, in the fresh air." her jaw dropped slightly, but then her eyes narrowed and she hissed in a familiar tone:

,, And what will I have to do in return?"

,, Stay." he got up and walked around the bench, Victoria twisting and turning to keep him in sight, not wanting to be surprised.

,, I will give you permission to walk the forests, if you give me your word of honour and swear that you will not try to escape." he stopped in front of her and reached down a hand to help her up. She got up by herself and thought about it for a moment.

_Live today, fight tomorrow._

She held out her hand.

,, Deal." he took it and kissed it, sending Victoria back to their first meeting.

,, Perfect." he looked almost kind in the light of the rising sun, but Victoria had sworn never to be fooled by him again. She pulled her hand free from his and blinked.

He was gone.

**Okay, yesterday I cartwheeled down the stairs... So from now on, every review will be applauded with me moonwalking across the ceiling of the cave that is my room:) **

**Thanks, everybody! **


	14. Chapter 14

Fourteen.

Torn.

The forest was so different in the early morning light; the massive pines that before had smothered every inch of pale starlight, now gave a soft glow and grazed the sunrays with their evergreen branches. The mist crawled along the forest floor and mixed with Victoria's frosty breath. She devoured the fresh air and feared with every breath she took, that she would wake up and find it all to be a dream: why had Dracula let her be outside after he had locked her up? It was all so contradicting.

She had walked in the forest for hours, first she had stayed close to the looming shadow of the stronghold, but after some time she had begun to expand the distance and now, she couldn't even see the fortress, she just knew the direction to it.

When her stomach had demanded food she had found some berries and washed them down with the icy water from the roaring river. It had tasted magnificent.

It was now around four in the afternoon, Victoria couldn't believe the sun already had moved to that point, it seemed only minutes since she had left the castle behind her.

As she was walking to nowhere in particular, wondering if she should be heading back now, so she would reach the stronghold by sunset, she heard crying and pleading screams. Never a good sign.

Victoria ran rapidly towards the cries and cursed herself for not having an actual plan. As she reached the screaming she saw that it was a young woman, being held to her knees by a familiar creature. The cause of her screaming and prayers was a small child, an infant, lying on the cold forest floor with a larger, also too well known figure looming over it. As Victoria watched, the beast-form of Dracula bent down and picked up the crying child. The woman increased her screaming and tried to stand up, but Aleera shoved her back on her knees and watched in mean delight.

,, No, please! Not my baby! Nonononono...! Please don't!" she cried but neither of the figures reacted. Dracula cradled the small child in his huge beast-hands and lifted the crying babe to his razorblade teeth. Victoria didn't think, she just bent down and grabbed a small flint rock before rushing forward and slamming the sharp rock into the back of Dracula, who twisted and dropped the infant, as the flint cut through his cold flesh. The child landed on the ground with a small thud and cried even harder. Dracula turned with one of his claw-nailed hands in the air, ready to slice his petty attacker in two. When he saw whom it was, the cold look in his eyes faded and he growled in a low voice, whilst letting his hand fall down his side.

,, Aleera, we are leaving." the monster voice spat. Aleera looked surprised, but did not loosen her grip in the crying woman who fought like Hell to save her child.

,, Master...?" but Dracula stretched out his huge wings and took off, almost slamming Victoria to the ground in doing so. Aleera eyed Victoria with a look that said 'kill', before flying in the air and tearing long, bloody lines in the woman's shoulders as a last goodbye. The woman was injured and scared, but still she crawled forward towards her crying baby. Victoria felt that the woman didn't care about herself, only the child, so she knelt down and picked the crying baby up, giving it some warmth and rocking it gently.

,, There, there sweetie..." she said, a little nervous; she had never been good with children, but the child stopped its crying and Victoria relaxed. The mother was crawling toward them steadier now, but Victoria sensed that the woman didn't fear the girl who had saved them. She edged herself closer to the woman who sat up and reached out for her child. She was tired and scared but when she saw that her baby was unharmed, she smiled.

,, Here." the child smiled as it was given back to the loving bosom, and the woman smiled as she rocked the babe and whispered small prayers of thank you. She had dark hair and plain skin and huge, green doe eyes, cascaded with tears.

She looked at Victoria.

,, Thank you... Oh God, thank you so much!" Victoria blushed and shrugged.

,, What would anyone do?" she helped the woman to her feet.

,, Do you have a place to go to?" she asked. The woman nodded, not looking up from her child who had wrapped a little hand around her finger.

,, Yes, my brother's a woodcutter... He lives nor far from here..."

,, Shall I walk you there?" Victoria asked, and hoped the woman would say no. She needed to go back to the castle and pick a serious bone with Dracula. The woman shook her head.

,, No... we're fine now..." she looked up.

,, What is your name?"

,, Victoria..."

,, Victoria... Victoria... May I name her? After you?" Victoria was surprised; that wasn't really a question she was used to.

,, Uhm... I'd rather not. Give her a name you think is best, not one she will hate bearing." Victoria somehow felt that the woman would give her child the name anyway. But, she had tried. She watched the woman go and then turned and paced towards the castle, eyes burning and fists clenched.

Victoria reached the fortress at sunset and ran inside, finding Dracula by his coat of arms, standing and imprinting every little dint in the surface. He heard her heels slamming against the floor, and turned to a hands smashing across his face, so his head got slightly turned. He lifted a hand to his burning cheek and smiled.

,, The fresh air does wonders, doesn't it?"

,, You... you unbelievable BASTARD!" she shouted. Dracula made a face.

,, Like it or not, Victory, but we need to feed."

,, On a baby?!"

,, The woman was walking alone near our home, she was begging for it."

,, In daylight? How can you even stand yourself? A child...! A baby!"

,, We could have killed its mother, but... When hunting, Victory, do you kill the mother or the kid?"

,, Neither! You kill the male, the weak, or the sick!" Dracula looked like he was getting a scolding. Which he was.

,, You tried to kill a child! In front of its mother!"

,, We need to eat."

,, How much food does a babe provide?! Nothing!" he stepped closer to her but Victoria didn't give a damn if he wanted to hurt her; she was angry.

,, You talk as a true mother, Victory." he teased and smiled as her face turned red.

,, Again: empathy! I am not a mother, but I can try to imagine what it must feel like to lose a child! Your own flesh and blood, your pride and joy of life!"

,, I have lost many children, yet I do not let it stand in my way." Victoria wasn't prepared for that. After some time, she swallowed, her eyes looking sad and enraged, her body shaking from hate and exhaustion: she had been running most of the way. He stepped closer and she backed up against the wall, suddenly feeling ashamed. Dracula had had children? She looked down on he feet and mumbled in a low voice:

,, I'm sorry, I didn't know... I..." he placed his one hand under her chin and lifted her head so their eyes met and locked. He shushed her gently and smiled.

,, I have mourned my children. No need in tormenting myself with my failures, when there are so many other things to care for." Victoria swallowed but found herself unable to move; not that Dracula had mesmerised her, she just couldn't.

Or wouldn't.

,, Tell me, Victory: you could have run when Aleera and I were... busy, but you didn't. You could have left, but you came back..." he took a step closer so they almost stood chest by chest.

,,... Why?" what do answer? That she had wanted to teach him a lesson? No, it sounded too petty. And somewhere she felt, that it wasn't the only reason.

,, Well, I... I wanted to... I-_mph_!" whatever she had tried to say was choked, when Dracula pressed his lips against hers, not teasingly or forcing, just gentle. Victoria's heart was about to burst and her knees felt weak, but she didn't scream or tried to push him away. She was too astonished to move. Her eyelids fluttered like the wings of a butterfly, not opened nor closed. After some seconds, Dracula pulled back with a loving and triumphant smile; he had made her expose a small part of herself. His eyes were half shut and he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her ear, before whispering in a low voice:

,, Well, well little Victory, this is nothing like you at all..." he pulled slightly backwards and placed and hand on the wall on either side of her.

,, You can run if you like, I will not stop you." Victoria bit her lower lip and tried to look anywhere but his eyes. Then she took a step forward and closed her eyes, as she returned his kiss. Dracula smiled into her return and wrapped his arms around her. Victoria thought about and then let his tongue in her mouth and ran her hands over his chest and wrapped them around his neck. For some time they stood like that, Victoria nervous for what she was doing, if she was doing it right, what it could lead to, Dracula's hands running over her back and digging into her hair. She sighed: Heaven must be close.

Then a lightning hit her and her eyes shot open. She was kissing Dracula! As his hands ran up under her shirt and fondled her skin, her insides turned to ice water and her hands ran from his neck to his chest and she shoved him away. He looked confused as she tore free of his arms and backed away from him down the hall.

,, Victoria?" she shook her head, eyes overflowing with tears.

,, Don't..." and then:

,, I'm sorry." then she turned and ran as fast she could. Dracula was left alone and stood and watched her run. Then his chest set on fire and he fell to his knees, hugging his sides and roaring in pain. How could anyone live with that amount of torment?

***

How long time had she been running? It felt like hours and the sunrays confirmed it. Her shirt was torn from the branches she had been caught by, and her eyes worn from the crying. She had left the pine forest some miles back, and was now running in a beech tree filled valley. She was exhausted but didn't dare to rest. Probably not even when the sun was up, would she be able to lie down. Vampires could be out in daylight, but it weakened them. But then again, Victoria was on the edge of collapsing. She was thirsty and hungry and tired, but she had to run. If she didn't run, she might reconsider and turn back.

What had she done?

Her sides were stinging and her eyes were burning. If she didn't stop now, she would surely fall and not rise again. She stopped by a young tree and leaned against it, gasping for air and crying like a child. Then a voice sounded:

,, Who's there?" she stooped her crying and held her breath. Could it be?

,, Who's there?" the voice said again, sounding angry and threatening. She swallowed and took a step forward, only to get the right sleeve of her shirt nailed to the tree, as a crossbow bolt shot through the air. She had never been so happy as when Van Helsing appeared out of the shadows of a cluster of trees. As he saw her he lowered his crossbow and stared at her for some seconds, stunned. Then he rushed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders and tore her free of the tree, crossbow left on the ground behind him. His hands ran from her shoulders to her chin and he carefully turned her head.

,, Is it... Are you... Have you..." Victoria gave a dry giggle and took his hands in hers and blinked some tears away.

,, I'm fine, I'm fine!" he looked at her from top to bottom; then he grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her air out of her lungs.

,, Victoria... Victoria... I'm sorry. I failed." she gasped for air and he loosened his grip.

,, Sorry."

,, No need to apologize. Please, I'm starving!" her eyes twinkled.

,, Do you have some food?" he laughed.

,, Not here, but we have camped by the edge of the forest, it's not far..." he turned and led the way, picking up the crossbow on the way.

,,... just follow me." she did. But first, she turned her gaze to the forest behind her, sunlight piercing it and making it look friendly. In that direction, Dracula was. And she had run away.

_Sorry._

She turned and followed Van Helsing.

**Okay, how sad and tragic:,( **

**Don't worry, it's not the last chapter! I'm done with the moonwalking, now I'm riverdancing:D **

**Diversity, as Richerd III said before stabbing his brother to death and then smothering the babies. **


	15. Chapter 15

Fifteen.

A chance.

,,... and that's it..." Victoria finished her story and ate the last pieces of cooked rabbit. Van Helsing and Carl had been good listeners, nodding and only asking questions when very necessary. And Victoria had told them this:

After Dracula had grabbed her from her room, he had materialised the two of them in a huge bedroom in a tower. (No need to lie about that.) Then, he had left her but returned every night and tried to force her into bed. (Almost true...) She hadn't been, though.

He had killed Pelegeya in front of Victoria, to break her spirits, but it hadn't worked. (Little lie, and she didn't mention Aleera.) Then, she told of how she had pierced his heart with a fire poker and had seen him turn to ashes, before running to find them. (Complete lie, but if they thought Dracula was dead, they'd leave him alone. For some time.)

They were sitting around a small fire in a silent clearing near the forest edge, Victoria had a blanket wrapped around her and she sat on one of the satchels. Van Helsing looked from the small fire to her.

,, And you are sure of that he is dead?" she gave a small nod.

,, Yes... He is..." she thought of the cry she had heard as she had ran, and of his clod lips against her burning. How it had all been so perfectly great for a minute or two, before she had torn away and had fled.

_Fool!_

_I didn't what I was doing!_

_When you kissed him or when you ran?_

_When I r... When I kissed him._

_See! You're lying to yourself, and for what?_

_He's a vampire!_

_But he kissed you._

_So?!_

_You always read those romantic stories; doesn't love conquer all?_

_Ever heard the term 'Till death do us part'? It had departed us._

_So you admit it; you fell something?_

_Yes! Confusion!_

,, Victoria?" she looked up.

,, Mmn?"

,, We should be going..." Van Helsing stood up and helped her to her feet.

,,... We can reach Bucharest by tonight, and from there we will get you home." Victoria felt sad; after all this she was going back to her old life... It somehow didn't seem fair.

,, Oh... Home... Yes, we should be going."

,, Leaving without saying goodbye, are we?" Victoria and Van Helsing's heads shot up at the voice; Carl, who was loading their baggage on the horses, turned and let out a small sound, like when you step on a mouse. Dracula was standing in the shadows in front of them, his face a mask of pain and pride and hate. Victoria let out a small gasp as Van Helsing grabbed his crossbow and pointed it to Dracula's chest.

,, Hello Gabriel. How good it is to see you again." Dracula smiled, stepping slowly forward. Van Helsing let go of the crossbow with one hand for a second, to push Victoria up behind him. She just stood and stared, horrified.

,, Now, now none of that." he gesticulated at the weapon.

,, I only came to talk." somehow Victoria knew, that it wasn't Van Helsing he was planning on talking to. She swallowed something and slowly stepped out of Van Helsing's shadow.

,, Ah, Victory, there you are." he teased.

_Please stop...!_

,, Good to see you in company with the ones who _truly _care for you."

,, Please..." she whispered in a small voice. Dracula flashed and now stood in the shadows on their right side, causing Van Helsing and Victoria to turn, so she actually stood a few feet in front of him. Van Helsing held the crossbow without shaking and aimed at Dracula. Dracula, I response, held out his arms and gave a small bow.

,, Let us see if you can finish me with your little toy." he was talking to Van Helsing, but his eyes were locked on Victoria. And she knew that he wouldn't try to dodge the bolts. Victoria didn't think, she just reacted: as Van Helsing squeezed the trigger she steeped out in front of him and shoved the crossbow away from Dracula's direction, as the first bolt shot out and sliced open a thick line in her arm, while she screeched a scared

,, Don't!" and then bit her teeth together and grabbed her wounded arm. Van Helsing stared at her, jaw dropped in surprise and amazement. As he looked over her shoulder he saw that Dracula was gone.

He let his crossbow fall and grabbed Victoria by her hair and puller her head up so their eyes were on the same level.

,, Why?!" he growled. Victoria bit the throbbing pain from her arm inside and spoke in a trembling voice, whilst clutching the wound and feeling her blood spill out on the ground.

,, I... You mustn't hurt him, he hasn't deserved it."

,, He _what_?!" Van Helsing tightened his grip.

,, It was _you _who wanted him gone, it was _your _friends that he killed. Now we could have finished him off, since you clearly didn't, and then you _stop_?!" she twisted under his grip and his words.

,, I'm sorry, I just... I know he is a monster, but..." rest of her talking was silenced as Van Helsing threw her aside like a puppet and turned to Carl, spitting in a low voice:

,, She's hurt. Help her." Victoria sat on the ground and felt utterly alone and stupid. Carl walked over and helped her to stand, before examining the cut and leading her to the horses, where Van Helsing stood with his arms crossed and looked furiously at her. Carl found some bandages and Victoria rolled up the cut and bloody sleeve.

,, One question:" she looked up at Van Helsing.

,, Did he kidnap you that night, or did you just follow him?" it hurt.

,, He did capture me, I swear." she lifted her arm slightly so Carl could wrap it.

,, When did you start to believe what he told you?"

,, You mean: when did I start feeling flattered when he called me beautiful?" he shrugged.

,, I don't know... Never, I think... Just... It felt so natural... When he..." Carl tied a small knot on the bandage and Victoria smiled sadly at him.

,, Thank you." Van Helsing sighed and walked around to her, Carl finding it wisest to retreat.

,, And what do you propose we do now, Victoria?" she rolled her sleeve back down and shook her head.

,, How should I know? You're the monster hunter."

,, Well, on account that you have been at his castle for so long, you must know where he hunts and were it would be safest to be."

,, I was his prisoner, not his allied!"

,, So you say, but wasn't he dead last time you saw him?"

,, I had to lie! Otherwise you'd have hunted him and..."

,, Well, that is what we do! We kill monsters."

,, I know, but maybe he isn't that bad."

,, Do you know how many people he has killed?"

,, How many have you?!" that shut him up. But Carl was twisting slightly and the look he gave Victoria meant one thing: Bad choice of words.

After some time, Van Helsing grabbed her around the waist and flung her up on the horse, before following.

,, We are riding to Bucharest. Now."

,, And what say do I have in this?" Victoria asked and tried to shove his hands away as he wrapped his arms around her.

,, None." he pulled the reins and they set off.

Victoria was tired; she had hardly been sleeping for the last 24 hours, and as they rode into the vast city of Bucharest, her head nodded heavily and Van Helsing, who had softened up to her along the way, placed a hand on her head and gently tilted it so she was resting it against his chest, stroking her hair until she slept shallowly.

After half and hour they reached a huge in and Van Helsing slipped of the horse and Victoria stumbled after, leaning against him on the way in and thereafter to her room. She sat down on the bed and yawned as Van Helsing walked to the window and confirmed that it was securely locked, before turning to her and produced and old familiar from his inner pocket of his coat: Victoria's dagger. She smiled as he handed it to her.

,, For protection." he said.

,, Thank you..." then:

,, What will happen now?"

,, Now, we sleep. Tomorrow, we shall talk and see what to do. And we need to get you some clothes." she nodded, it seemed fair enough.

,, Are you hungry?" he asked. She shook her head.

,, No, just tired."

,, Well, then I leave you to rest. I sleep in the next room, in case... something happens." she nodded and wished him a goodnight and he left the room. Victoria pulled off the boots and the trousers and the vest, before snuggling under the covers and blowing out the candle, dagger well hidden under the pillow.

Dracula was sitting on the windowsill and looking in at the sleeping figure in her bed, breathing in and breathing out. So serene, so tranquil, so calm. She had her back to him, but it was easy to pick out her every detail in the shadows. He sighed and his face made a small twitch when it stung in his chest; he so wanted to be with her, to take that small step and be inside her room, to feel her scent. But he couldn't; she needed to be alone. Maybe she would need it forever, or to be alone with...

_Gabriel_

... someone else.

But just to kiss her...

He closed his eyes and let himself be engulfed by the shadows.

,, Victoria? Time to get up..." someone grabbed Victoria by her shoulder and shook her lightly. She growled and shoved the person's hand away and turned over, a muffled

,, Go away...!" escaping her. The hand took hold of her arm again and pinched it.

,, Sorry to say, but you have to get up." Van Helsing threw something soft over her covers.

,, Hope they fit. You need to get up, there's food downstairs." she sat up, her hair tousled by sleep.

,, Food?" he smiled and walked for the door.

,, Ten minutes." then he walked out. She looked at the clothes on her bed; a pair of grey trousers, some undergarments, a pair of boots and a shirt which looked like they hadn't been able to find any other, so Van Helsing had lend her one of his own. She yawned and pulled it on, before walking downstairs and finding Van Helsing and Carl in the great room of the inn. She smiled at them and sat down, inhaling the food in front of her, too hungry to talk or anything else. When she was done she leaned back in the chair and sighed.

,, Well, what do we d now?" Van Helsing got up from his seat.

,, Up to one of our rooms for some privacy, then we talk." she nodded and the three of them walked to Van Helsing's room which looked exceedingly much like Victoria's. Victoria leaned her back against the window and crossed her arms, Carl stood by the bed and Van Helsing took place in the middle of the room.

,, First thing; what do we do about Dracula?"

,, I'd prefer if we'd keep him alive..." Victoria said, looking stiffly at the floor.

,, Yes, about that..." Van Helsing walked up to her and took her face in his hands.

,, Are you sure that you love him?" she felt funny inside; burning and icy.

,, Well, I don't know if I love him... I just don't want him dead... Anymore..."

,, Well, you talk some sense into him... If we can get a hold of him..." he let go of her head and walked back into the room. Victoria bit her lip and sighed.

,, If I could talk to him and... and make him... feed without killing... would that be a deal the Vatican could settle to?"

,, With some persuasion, I think so..." Victoria nodded.

,, Well, then that's it. But then... What will happen if I can't talk to him?" after the last two times they had met, she didn't know if Dracula would slice her open or not.

,, Then we will have to do what you brought us here to." she swallowed. What had gone wrong in her stupid little life?

,, Well, then get him. We can negotiate together." she stepped away from the window and stood beside Van Helsing.

,, Dracula." she said. Nothing happened. She looked around.

,, Dracula..." nothing.

,, But... He..." of course, how could she be so stupid?

,, He won't come." she announced. After the last nights, how could he? She had severed every thread and still expected him to come?

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

,, Well, then we have to get to him in the old fashioned manner..." Van Helsing said.

,, Break down the door and nail him to the nearest wall..." Victoria finished. None of them protested.

,, About that, do you know how strong he is?" last time Van Helsing had made a choice which had cost his love her life. If he was going to go through that again...

,, I stabbed him once and it almost killed him."

,, You have the strangest way of showing someone you like them." Carl sounded almost shocked.

,, I didn't know I'd... Never mind." she looked out of the window and sighed; it must be around midday.

,, Can I go outside?" Van Helsing looked like he was leaning towards a 'no', but Victoria tried looking sad and vulnerable.

,, Be back before sundown and bring a weapon along. Keep away from dark corners and long shadows, do not talk to strangers."

,,... and bring this." Carl handed her a small silver cross. She smiled and walked for the door.

,, Yes, father. Yes, mother." she said and walked out. The two men looked at each other.

,, Who's who?" Carl asked.

***

The streets buzzed with life and it was contagious, for Victoria couldn't help but feeling a little less brooding, even if Dracula had abandoned her, and they right now had been debating on whether to kill him or not. The cross was dangling from her right wrist and the dagger was hidden under her shirt, she thought it foolish but just to be safe...

She walked around the streets for some time, breathing in the heartbeat of the city, before finding herself in what Van Helsing had told her not to venture into; a shadow-filled ally. She looked around, slightly confused, for she could not remember where she was or how she got there. But upon her turning around to go back the way she had came, she was stopped by a looming figure by the end of the ally. She stopped and watched the person for some time, knowing without question, that he was looking straight back at her. Feeling uneased, she decided to walk the way she had been travelling on so far, and turned. She almost bumped into another man, grubby and tall as a tree and with no teeth.

,, Excuse me, sir." she gave a small nod and tried to walk around him, when he grabbed her arm and almost pulled her from the ground, as he held her wrist up close.

,, My, my, what a pretty little trinket, missy." the small cross shone in the faint light.

,, Let go of me!" she hissed and tore free; but as she stepped backwards she was grabbed, so her arms were pinned to her sides and a filthy hand was pressed down over her mouth. She screeched.

,, Now, now, missy. None of that, we just want you to make a small donation." a ratty voice hissed in her ear, making her shudder as small drops of saliva condensed on her neck. She struggled harder. The huge man in front of her grabbed her wrist and tried to pull off the silver. Victoria gathered her strength and forced her head backwards, so most of her upper jaw was freed and she bit down in the ratty man's hand, until he screamed and tried to tear free, and she tasted blood. When he let go, she knocked her head backwards and felt how the man's nose broke under her skull. She fought free her hand and grabbed her dagger, then slit open a severe cut in the huge man's arm and escaped grasp and fled down the ally.

,, That whore broke my nose!" she heard as she got out in the open air and turned left. She ran down the road and saw a small garden, in which she sped into and slammed the black iron gate behind her. She sighed and spat on the ground; her mouth was filled with one of her attackers blood and her right hand was smeared in the other one's. When she looked around she saw that she was not in a garden, but a small graveyard. A few trees guarded the place and the earth was covered with gravestones and small monuments. A marble bench stood under a young weeping willow and Victoria sat down, feeling slightly wicked for having spat in a graveyard. She leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes, hands resting on the cooling marble on either side of her.

,, Dear Victory, I do hope that it is not your blood." her eyes shot open and she tensed like a bowstring. Dracula was standing behind her, she could see a mass of darkness out of the corner of her right eye. She held her breath as he knelt down and took her hand and lifted it to his lips and kissed her palm before licking some of the blood away.

,, Oh, no, that's not yours. Far too bitter for you." she tried to tear her arm free but he had one hand around her wrist and one forcing her hand open, and she didn't dare to turn her head and look at him. He nuzzled her hand with his lips and left cold kisses on her trembling fingers, licking away the blood in doing so. He smelled her wrist and sensed the racing blood in her veins.

,, Are you scared, Victory?" she still didn't turn to look, she just nodded slightly.

,, Good." he said in his most serene and loving voice.

**Da-da-da-dum!**

**... Can't really find anything more to write as comment.... R&R, honeyloves!:)**


	16. Chapter 16

Sixteen.

A way out.

Victoria tried to pull free from his claws, but Dracula just tightened his grip and smiled against her skin.

,, I never did get a chance to taste you..." he licked her vein in affection.

,,... in _that _way, mind you." she swallowed.

,, Please, I've negotiated with Van Helsing, if you do this it will mean nothing...!"

,, Oh, negotiated? That sounds so very, _very _interesting...!" his breath made her skin feel clammy.

,, They'll kill you, you know. I begged them not to, but if you hurt me..." he sounded surprised as he spoke:

,, You? You persuaded them not to kill me?"

,, Well, I tried to, but when we couldn't talk to you, it was left at the talk..." he loosened his grip; not much, but still some. She slowly closed her fingers around his, and gave them a barely noticeable squeeze.

,, You are the queerest girl I have ever stumbled upon, Victory." he said.

,, And you are indeed the queerest man."

_Coin toss._

_Is this the right thing to do?_

_Who knows?_

You _should at least have an idea!_

He let go of her and she turned her head; he still looked enraged, but at the same time... Not...

,, May I sit?" he gesticulated at the bench , where the blood from her attacker had been smeared out on the grey marble. She gave a small nod, but moved as far away from him as possible as he sat down with his cape flowing around him. He took her chin in his hand and for a moment Victoria thought he was going to kiss her, but he ran his tomb over her chin and wiped some of the blood away, before licking it off his finger.

,, You have indeed been in a fray, Victory."

,, Fools are, sadly, everywhere." then she realised something and looked at her wrist. He followed her gaze; the small silver cross still hung there, shining in the faint sunlight. He took it off her wrist and pressed it in her hand.

,, I thought vampires couldn't touch a cross..." she let it disappear down her pocket.

,, But I am not any vampire, Victory." true... Then she shot up from her seat, as the two men from the ally walked into the graveyard, eyes scouting for her. Someone must have seen her run and had told on her.

,, Damn!" she hissed and fled further in, until she crept up in the shadows of a small mausoleum. Dracula hadn't bothered to get up, but he flashed and stood beside her as she leaned against the cold stone.

,, Friends of yours?" he asked.

,, You should know them, you've tasted them." Victoria said, peering around the corner. The small, ratty man held one hand to his bloody face, somehow bearing the pains of the broken ligament moulding under his fingers. The other one, the huge, neck- and teeth less one had a piece of grubby and bloody cloth wrapped around his injured arm.

,, We know you're here, missy." the small one called. In another time, Victoria wouldn't even have bothered to hide, she had a vampire after all. Now, she was nervous, not knowing who would hurt her; them or him.

,, Come on out, we're not in the mood for hide and seek." he said. She turned to Dracula, who flickered a speck of dust away from his cape.

,, I don't suppose you're going to help, so I will be seeing you." she gave a small nod and took a quick look over the graveyard, before sprinting out from the shadows of the mausoleum. The two men saw her and followed under cursing and swearing. But as Victoria sped past a set of matching gravestones, she ran into the arms of Dracula.

,, Let go!" she hissed as the men came closer. He didn't. As her attackers appeared around the corner of the gravel path, he tightened his grip around her upper arms, holding her back pressed against his chest.

,, Oi, hold that one!" the smaller one shouted.

,, Oh, I will." Dracula said, too low for anyone but Victoria to hear him. As the men reached them they stopped, panting for air.

,, All right, pal, hand her over." the huge man said through his rotten teeth.

,, She's ours."

,, Oh, really? And may I ask, where did two low life beggars, such as yourself, acquire such an enticing little dame?" Dracula asked.

,, None of your business, chum. Give her over." the rat said.

,, Why, if I may be so bold?"

,, She owes money..." the big one said.

,,... and we need to pay her back." the small continued, clutching his broken nose. Victoria swallowed. Dracula bent down and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent.

,, No, I think I'll keep her." he said.

,, That's not something you get to decide." the rat took a step closer and pulled out a knife from his sleeve.

,, Victory, I have not yet been able to break my fast this day..." Dracula said lowly into her ear, eyes locked on the two men approaching.

,,... so I'm afraid I'll have to dine on rubbish today..." he kissed her neck as the rat reached them, knife in hand.

,,... close your eyes." she did. She squeezed her lids so heavily together that it hurt, but she did not dare look. Dracula let go of her arms in a flash and the two men screamed in fear, before she heard panicked running and falling, before begging for mercy and then... Silence.

She almost fell to her knees when a cold hand stoked her cheek.

,, You can open your eyes now." slowly, she did: the two men were lying on the ground a little way away, faces down, not moving. Their necks had been torn to shreds and blood oozed from deep cuts in their skin. Dracula looked like he had eaten a huge meal, but not a speck of blood was to be found on him. She swallowed and took a step backwards, looking at the two corpses.

,, They deserved it, Victory. You were no the first person they had been after; you were the only lucky one." he reached out and opened his hand.

,, Here."

,, Why? I mean, what now?"

,, As a true gentleman, I will now escort you home. Then, you can chitter along with Gabriel about my upcoming fate, and then we will take it from there. See if I agree."

,, But we have talked. I just need to convince you to do that..." she pointed at the dead men.

,, ... without slaughtering anyone."

,, A vampire only kills to survive, one to two people per month, three or four when outworn..."

,, And snacking on an infant now and again."

,,... one vampire could survive with about... 12 voluntary donors, one for each month." Dracula continued, ignoring Victoria's comment.

,, Then it would be 24 people from the nearest villages, against the promise of no killing and likewise. Sounds doable?" he steeped closer.

,, Later, Victory. Now we need to get you home." reluctantly, she stepped closer to him and he took her hand and pulled her closer.

,, Shall we, then?" they walked to the gate and Dracula held it for Victoria to step out. She gave a small nod, but was still nervous when they walked down the street beside each other; they hadn't parted on the best of terms...

,, So, how's Aleera?" she asked.

,, As she always has been and always will be."

,, My condolences." he smiled, his cold stone angel smile.

They reached the inn and Victoria looked at him.

,, You could go inside with me..." he took her hand and kissed it.

,, But I won't... If you whish, call my name when alone. Then we can talk." she blinked and he disappeared.

_I'll have to get used to that..._

_Well, that went well; he didn't kill you._

_Yet._

_Positive as always._

_I kissed him and shunned him. Maybe he's building up to a storm._

_And maybe not... So, have you thought about it?_

_About what?_

_Do you love him yet?_

_Shut up._

She walked inside and found Van Helsing in his room, cleaning his weapons.

,, Where's Carl?"

,, Sleeping."

,, One moment." ten minutes later, they all stood in Victoria's room.

,,Well?" Van Helsing asked.

,, I spoke to Dracula." the two men turned pale; well, Carl turned pale, Van Helsing just looked stricken.

,, You _what_?!"

,, He came and we talked... He's partly agreed to feed of donors, someone we can negotiate into a truce in the villages. He and Aleera..."

,, What, she's alive too?!" Carl squeaked.

,, Good, then I'm not the only one feeling slightly resenting towards her." Victoria said.

,, Anyway, he and Aleera can feed on selected villagers and that would be the end. No more bloodshed and so on." Van Helsing, who had been watching the sun set from the window turned around and faced Victoria.

,, And then, what about you?" she stopped; she hadn't really been thinking about that...

,, Are you going to be a vampire too? Because I won't let you, even if that means dragging you all the way to the Vatican and lock you in a cell." Victoria felt lightheaded; she didn't whish to be a vampire, but... should she go back to her village? Return to the Vatican and start a new life in Rome? Be with Dracula, if he wanted her back?

,, I... Uh, I don't know..." he sighed and walked up to her and gave her a pat on the shoulder.

,, I'm afraid the plans didn't include you..." he sounded like he was sad on her behalf.

,, No, I don't think so..." when she realised she was standing on the brink of something huge and life changing, she felt dizzy. What should she do?

,, I'd like to be alone for a while..." she mumbled, not looking at anyone of them. Van Helsing nodded and they left the room as Victoria sat down on the bed.

_Well, you can't go back to the village..._

_I can't run behind Van Helsing and Carl..._

_Maybe Dracula wants you back...?_

_When he asked if I was scared and I nodded, he said 'Good.' Hardly screaming for me to come back, I think._

_Well, he didn't kill you. Baby steps..._

_Shut..._

_... Up, yeah._

She lied down on the bed and curled up in a ball.

Was that really it? Was she to be left alone, after all she had been through? In her books, the hero always won something; experience and such... She had won a kiss and a broken snip of her heart.

,, Great." she sniffed and kicked off her boots and pondering over her choices 'till

she drifted away into dreams.

**Sorry, I thinks many of these ends with her sleeping, but it seems a good way to get the story to move a bit on...**

**Right now, I'm pondering between a one-man (that is one-girl) Cha-cha-cha or a mere tap-dance for each review... I'll let you know...**


	17. Chapter 17

Seventeen.

Comes with a promise.

When asked later on, Victoria didn't know if she had said his name in sleep or if he had decided just to drop by, but when she opened her eyes Dracula stood in the middle of the room, looking like a ghost in the light of the moon.

,, Good evening, Victory. Pleasant dream, I trust?" she sat up and shrugged.

,, I'm sure they were magnificent, I just forgot them as I woke." she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

,, Anything in particular that brings you here?" how long had he been there, watching her in her sleep? She suddenly became very aware of things as bad breath, messy hair and such.

,, Have you gotten any further in your negotiations? Something I can settle for as well?" she nodded and tried to smooth out the scrunched up shirt she was wearing.

,, All we need is for you two to meet and talk it over, for I am tired of being messenger when you both are perfectly capable of talking yourselves." he smiled and gave a single nod.

,, Vey well, my lady Victory. Now, can I interest you in an early evening soirée?" Victoria knew many strange words, like 'onomatopoetic' and 'Dragul' so it annoyed her, not knowing what he had said.

,, A what?"

,, A small party, including some food..." she twitched.

,,... for you and some talk and general entertainment." she shrugged.

,, How small?" she didn't know if she whished to meet some of his friends.

,, One guest and the host, of course." after some time she gave a small smile, hardly even noticeable.

,, Let me get my boots on." she sat down and pulled them on her feet, trying to ignore Dracula's gaze on her. When she stood up again he took a step forward and bowed before her.

,, My lady, if you would be so kind..." he held out his hand and she took it, begging that he wasn't too angry with her anymore. He pulled her close in to him and wrapped his cape around them both before gathering some strength and they disappeared.

,, Where are we?" Victoria asked, looking around. They were standing in a huge dining hall, with a huge window on their left and a massive, carved oak table n their right. Huge paintings hung on the walls, everything from still life's of fruit and violins to portraits of beautiful men and women in amazing clothes.

,, Welcome to one of my palaces, Victory."

,, How many do you have?" she asked as Dracula snapped his fingers and the candles on the table lit.

,, I prefer to have as many as possible, always having a place to go to when in need." Victoria walked to the window and saw the Dâmboviţa River gently gurgling by far under her. It looked breathtaking.

,, Wine?" she turned. On the table, there now stood a crystal flask filled with a dark ruby liquid in it. Beside it was a pair of fine crystal glasses and a plate with fruit.

,, I don't think I've ever tasted wine before..." she said. Wine was expensive, Victoria was poor. Dracula looked theatrically shocked.

,, Dearest Victory, what life you must have lived..." he poured the wine into one of the glasses and walked over to her.

,, Here." she took it and her fingers grazed his in doing so. It was nice.

She sniffed the wine, as if she feared it was poisoned and then she took a small sip. And another one. And she smiled.

,, It's amazing...! I can't describe it, but..." he smiled in return.

,, Wine tends to do that..." she knocked her head backwards and drank the rest of the wine. He smiled and offered her his arm.

,, A tour around my residence?" she put the glass on the windows sill and interlocked her own arm with his, not really knowing _why_.

,, Delighted to." she said and they left the room.

Hours later Dracula and Victoria found themselves in one of the small towers, having walked there without really knowing why and how. Victoria looked around.

,, I would like to thank you, Dracula..."

,, For what?"

_You didn't kill me, you've showed me this amazing place, you..._

,, For everything..." he let go of her arm and stroked her hair away from her face. And her neck.

,, Gracious Victory, you do me much honour, thanking me for the few good things I have done to you." she tried to force the blood rushing through her cheeks back.

,, And maybe one day, I will forgive you for everything else you have done." it wasn't harsh words, even though she wanted them to sound even slightly resenting. They just sounded kind.

,, Victory, remember when we parted a few days ago?"

_Oh no...!_

,, Yes..." she said, heart beating faster. He smiled.

,, You are scared." his hand ran from her neck to the back of her head, where it entwined with her hair and he pulled her closer towards him. She stiffened.

,, Why so tense?" he asked, lips inches from hers.

,, Because I remember the last time this happened..." he slowly closed his eyes and leaned closer.

,, Oh?"

,, And I don't know if this would be he right... thing... to..." she slowly closed her eyes and stepped slightly forward.

,,... do..." she whispered before their lips met and none of them cared to think of anything but that.

Victoria hadn't really kissed that many persons in her life, but she decided it felt wonderful!

He was cold, true, but she had burned since she had been young, so it felt so natural for his lips and tongue to extinguish the flames. She sighed as his cool hands ran up her back and kneaded the skin through her shirt, and she ran hers over his back and let them dig into his hair, silently cursing the clip in his ponytail; had it not been there, it would have been easier.

Slowly, his hands ran over her body and up under her shirt, her knees almost caving under her. When his smooth palms ran up her front and grazed her bust, she thought she was going to swoon. Then they moved to her back and stayed at her shoulder blades, stroking them with his fingers.

They pulled slightly back to breathe, Victoria panting slightly. He looked at her, taunting and caring, fingers gently squeezing her scapulas.

,, You won't run this time, Victory." he teased. He leaned in to continue, but Victoria turned her head so it would be a peck on the cheek. He stopped and listened to her heart.

,, Why?" he asked, suddenly cold. She shook free from his hands and stepped back, hugging herself and looking stiffly at the floor behind Dracula.

,, Because..." she blinked and her vision blurred.

,, We cannot do this, so why even start?" he walked up to her and took her chin and turned her head, so their eyes locked in each other.

,, Because I..."

,, Don't say it!"

,,... love you." he said it. She tried to shake her head, which was heard when he still held her chin.

,, No you do not...!" she bit her lip.

,, You think you do, but you don't...!" she tried to shove away from him.

,, Let me g..."

,, No." he said harshly.

,, I won't let you walk freely when I know that you feel the same as I do!"

,, All I feel for you, count, is pain and confusion..." she clawed at his hand and pulled away from him.

,, Now let me go!" he let go of her chin only to grab her shoulders and hold her shaking body still.

,, Victoria, I love you."

,, Stop saying that!" she shouted. He wrenched her closer to his face, almost spitting as he talked.

,, Why won't you admit what we both know?" she was crying now, soundless and sad.

,, I don't love you, and how could I ever care for you? You are dead, I'm not..." she wrung and squirmed and tore free from him.

,,... and I won't put myself through it." she turned and disappeared into the shadows.

Dracula found her on one of the balconies of the palace, arms wrapped tightly around herself, shaking with cold and tears.

,, Victory...?" she didn't turn, her eyes were firmly locked on the city before her, thousands of lights illuminating the buildings and the river and her eyes.

,, Victory come inside, you're freezing." he clipped open his cape and walked up to her and wrapped it about her trembling shoulders.

,, I'm fine..." she lied. There was some time of silence, Dracula standing behind her and so wanting to be beside her, her hair and the cape moving gently in the breeze. He sighed.

,, Victory, if I told you there was a way for us to be together, what would you say?"

,, That I won't turn into a vampire..." he gently took her shoulders and pulled her slightly backwards, so they stood pressed against each other.

,, And if I told you, that you wouldn't have to turn into one?" she sounded so sad when answering.

,, Then I would say you're lying." he kissed the back of her head.

,, Victory, it is extremely painful for a vampire and many do not do it because of that... But there is a way to rid myself of my bloodlust and we could be together." she almost knocked him to the ground when she spun around.

,, Don't lie to me!" she shouted.

,, Why would I lie?" he asked.

,, Because you can't have me, so you decide to make me break." he shushed her and looked her in the eyes.

,, Long ago, a vampire from this city found a way to turn back... To decline our gift and become... Almost a human once more... Horatiu Aulus, an old acquaintance of mine." she clenched her fist and tried to sound angry.

,, If you're lying to me, I swear..." he placed a finger over her lips.

,, But, it comes with a promise..." he traced his finger down over her chin and neck and let it rest by her collarbone.

,, And that is?" Victoria's heart raced in her chest, she wouldn't like to get her hopes up too high, but still...

Dracula leaned down.

,, A kiss." and she promised him.


	18. Chapter 18

Eighteen.

Meeting the torn.

When the first pink ray of rainy sunlight pierced the dust grey evening sky, Victoria opened her eyes and found herself in her room at the inn, lips still burning from the night's kisses. She couldn't stop smiling. Was this how it would be? Forever feeling like she was flying over the city, looking down on everyone who had ever looked down on her. She could get used to it.

Under the breakfast, consisting of freshly baked bread with cheese and tea, she had to keep her hair down in front of her face and keep her eyes in the table, so Van Helsing and Carl couldn't see her smile and red cheeks. By the end of the meal, she looked at her friends.

,, I have something to tell you, so if we could go to a room?" they looked at her an each other, nervously. Safely away in Van Helsing's room, she turned to them:

,, I met with Dracula some hours ago, and..."

,, You did _what_?!" Van Helsing shouted.

,, Victoria, what do I have to do? Chain you to the wall?"

,, Stop sounding like my father! I wasn't hurt, now was I?" his sighed and turned his closed eyes to heaven, shaking his head slightly, like when you are disappointed over something or someone.

,, Anyway, the talk of the donors... Maybe we don't need the 24, only 12..."

,, By that I hope you mean Aleera's gone." Carl said.

,, Carl, let her finish." Van Helsing sounded like the older brother of the group, completely ignoring the fact that he had himself interrupted Victoria.

,, Thank you... Dracula knows a way to become... What's the closest you can come to not being a vampire, without actually being a human?"

,, Dead." Van Helsing had his arms crossed and looked angry. Victoria's eyes narrowed.

,, Other?"

,, Dhampires." Carl said.

,, A person with one human and one vampire parent." Van Helsing turned pale.

,, You're not... Are you?" Victoria's face reddened.

,, No!" she said.

,, Moving swiftly back to the subject: Dracula knows a way to turn almost back to human. You eat food and drink some blood, you can walk outside any time of the day, as strong as before, you age... Gradually." her and Dracula had talked it over last night, sitting in a small sofa and staring out at the city, Dracula's hands running through her hair, her head leaned on his ever-silent chest.

,, How?" Van Helsing now sounded slightly interested.

,, He didn't tell me, it's very secret, apparently... But isn't it a good thing?"

,, And why does he want to give up his gift?" she blushed slightly.

,, To... so we could be together..." Van Helsing sighed.

,, You are in deep with him, aren't you?" she shrugged.

,, Afraid so..." he shook his head again.

,, Well, blow your little whistle or what it is you do." she eyed him.

,, Dracula." they looked around, but he wasn't there. Victoria felt slightly abandoned.

,, Seems like he's let you down, Victoria." Van Helsing didn't sound too sad on her behalf.

,, Gabriel, don't be so pessimistic." Dracula stood by the window, looking like a vampire count more than ever. Van Helsing put, by habit Victoria hoped, his hand on his pistol. Victoria glared, but then smiled at Dracula.

,, Have you never learned, that it is rude and quite uncivilized, not to bring a present to the hostess?" he pulled out a red rose from his cape and gave it to Victoria, with a small bow. She blushed. She had never been given a flower before.

,, Very unlike you, thinking about others, count." Van Helsing spat. Dracula's eyes moved from Victoria's to his.

,, We all change."

,, No you."

,, You must have slept terribly... Bad dream?"

,, I don't dream."

,, Shame." his fangs flashed.

,, If you hurt her, in any way..." Victoria and Carl felt like they were watching a ball game: the words flew back and forward and there was no stopping them.

,, I think she can look after herself, Gabriel."

,, I've sworn to protect her from the likes of you."

,, And I think we have stated, that you are not capable of protecting anyone... How is Anna, by the by?" he smiled sadistically. Van Helsing did not. In the blink of an eye he had drawn his pistol and his finger was tight around the trigger. Victoria felt it was time to break in, and stepped in between the two men, looking angrily at them both.

,, Stop it! You're acting like schoolboys! You...!" she looked at Dracula.

,, Stop getting under his skin, it's not helping you at all...!" behind her back, Van Helsing gave a small snigger. She turned, hair whipping through the air.

,, And you: don't let him get under your skin!" Dracula made a face, which said it all:

_Tsk, tsk, Gabriel. _

,, And don't think I can't see you!" Victoria had her back turned to Dracula, but there was no question of whom she was talking to. Dracula looked surprised and so did Van Helsing. The only thing they could agree on.

,, Uncanny, isn't she?" Dracula asked, to no one in particular.

She sighed.

,, Now, let's get to the point, before one of you bites the other one's head off...!" she turned to Dracula.

,, Your friend?"

,, Yes, Horatiu has agreed to meet during daytime, we can walk to his home when we whish to." she nodded.

,, Good." she turned back to Van Helsing and Carl.

,, Do you want to come, or..."

,, I won't leave you alone with him." Van Helsing answered. Victoria glared slightly.

,, Very well, should we go?" they nodded.

,, I will see you outside." Dracula said and was gone. It wouldn't seem right, if three tenants went up and four came down, one of them who had never been seen there before. When they were outside and the light, cold rain slowly drenched them, Dracula walked out of the shadows and they began to walk. Victoria cut the rose with her nails and placed it in her hair behind her ear. Dracula smiled.

,, Beautiful." she smiled and murmured a 'thank you'.

After an hour of walk through the rainy streets of Bucharest, they arrived at a great mansion, with white stones covered in dark green vines and huge, dark window staring at them from under the dark blue roof tiles.

,, Good." Victoria shivered. It was cold and she was wet and coatless. They walked up the huge door and Victoria took the heavy knocker, a natural-sized black iron raven with its feet bolted to the door, and knocked its beak against the worn metal plate, one, two, three times. Dracula held out his arm and she gratefully let him wrap some of his cape around her. Van Helsing gave a slight frown, standing on their right with Carl. Dracula smirked.

,, Don't worry, Gabriel, there's room for you, too." Victoria elbowed him in the ribs and he gave a small cough.

Then the door opened and a young girl, not a day over 17, appeared in a plain maidens uniform, dark hair partly hidden in a white bonnet. A human girl.

,, Count Dracula?" she asked. He gave a small nod in reply and she curtsied.

,, The master is expecting you in the drawing room." she stepped aside and opened the door some more. But when Dracula let go of Victoria and walked in, the girl looked at the three persons outside.

,, The master will only see the count." she said, as if it was all her fault, and she closed the door before any of them could react. After some time, Van Helsing sighed.

,, Well, no point in standing here." he turned and walked back down the marbled path to the street and Carl and Victoria followed. Apparently, Van Helsing didn't like being close to a vampire residence. Victoria shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. It was cold.

,, Vladislav!" Horatiu Aulus, a vampire almost as old as Dracula, got up from his comfy armchair, where he had been sitting and relaxing with a book and a glass of lukewarm blood, tapped from his pale chambermaid moments ago.

,, Horatiu." Dracula gave a formal bow and they shook hands. Horatiu had been thirty-six when he had become a vampire, but like every other vampire, his dark red eyes shone with wisdom and age. He was pale as any other and had long, dark brown hair, which he let hang loose down over his back. He was dressed in a needle-striped suit, so dark blue it could be mistaken for black. His shirt was white as his skin, and he looked like the faerie-tale prince he once had been.

,, You look good." Dracula said, eyes moving from the blazing fireplace and the walls, lined up with bookshelves and thousands of books.

,, You certainly live good." Horatiu gave a single, short laugh.

,, One tries... But please, sit." they sat down, Horatiu in his chair, Dracula in a similar one. Horatiu poured a glass of blood from a carafe and Dracula took it. It tasted good, Horatiu gave his servants the best food possible and they let him drink from them now and again.

,, Nice." he stated.

,, Young girl, turning... 20, I believe next time. Perfectly kept." Dracula took another sip.

,, Not a virgin, though." Horatiu laughed.

,, If you saw her you wouldn't be surprised...!" that was true. Horatiu was the only one Dracula knew, who fancied women about as much as himself. He liked them human, though, and had taken no brides through the years.

,, So..." Horatiu sipped the blood and licked his lips.

,,... Your letter was quite unexpected. What brings you to my small corner of Romania? And how old is she?" he chuckled.

,, In her middle twenties, I presume."

,, Presume? Ah, the key of a solid relationship: talking as little as possible." he emptied the glass and leaned back in the chair, fingers joined and resting on his flat belly.

,, An why do you need me? To sing at your wedding?"

,, You did some research some years ago... What was it, seventeen...seventeen-twenty...seventeen-twenty one, if I recall correctly."

,, And twenty two, and twenty three, and twenty four...! About the twenties all together, not including the year of twenty seven. I travelled around France that year, met some very interesting ladies... But why do you want to know about that old obsession? I did it to have something to do, it was a very boring time for me."

,, Well, I would appreciate your help in the small matter of..."

,, No...!" Horatiu smiled like an exited child at Christmas.

,, Not you...! The Prince of Darkness, the vampire lord? You, of all, want to turn back? I simply _have _to meet your lady friend! She's convinced you? Shall I get my coach to collect her at your palace?" he laughed.

,, Oh, this is precious!" Dracula smiled back, unaffected by his friend's laughter.

,, I'm glad that you find some entertainment in this, but when you are finished laughing, would you might consider helping?" Horatiu wiped a tear from his eye and smiled.

,, Yes, yes, I will take some time off my schedule to assist you in your... Wooing of this lady...!" he broke down and laughed like a young boy. Dracula let him laugh. After some time, Horatiu stopped and panted for air.

,, I must meet her...!" he clapped his hands together, once.

,, I'll call my coach." he reached for a little bell on the coffee table. Dracula held up his hand and Horatiu stopped.

,, If you're so keen on seeing her, she freezing to death outside."

,, Really?" Horatiu got up from his chair and paced to the window. Dracula followed.

Victoria was standing with Gabriel and the monk on the street, shaking with cold and the rain. The rose in her hair looked like a drop of blood in a sea of ink. As Dracula and Horatiu watched, the monk said something and Gabriel answered with a smile and Victoria laughed lightly, covering her sweet smile with on hand.

,, Her?" Horatiu sounded surprised.

,, Vladislav, is it her? That girl?" he pointed through the glass.

,, Indeed." Dracula replied.

,, Hhmmn..." Horatiu licked his lips: now, he was going to judge her appearance. He was, after all, a great knower of women.

,, Pretty, not beautiful... Great lack of a proper bust if I may say it... Good hips, if you're still trying to breed..." Victoria ran a hand through her hair and shivered.

,, I must admit, I do like her eyes. Perfect grey... Yes..." he turned to Dracula, who had kept silent. If he offended Horatiu by defending Victoria, he might not help them.

,, May I congratulate you: a fine girl." Dracula gave a slight bow.

,, Thank you... Now, about our deal..."

,, She's freezing..." Horatiu had turned his gaze back to Victoria, who tried to blow some warmth into her icy fingers and shook in the chilly wind.

,, Yes..."

,, Here..." out of nothing, Horatiu pulled a card.

,, My tailor. Go to him and have him make her a coat. An expensive one, make sure it is, with details and silver buttons. Have him make it in the greatest haste. When it is finished, come here again... Then I will have prepared everything for you." he turned to Dracula and handed him the card.

,, Very well." for other people, it might have seemed a strange request, but vampires do not measure in time and days like everyone other, they measure in the time it takes for something to happen. Like the making of a coat or the birth of a baby.

Dracula and Horatiu whished each other a goodbye and Horatiu had the young girl from the door lead Dracula back downstairs. He took his cape from her and swaggered out of the door.

,, Strange thing to ask for..." Victoria said as Dracula finished telling her about what the deal was. She blew at her fingers again.

,, Maybe, but you need some warmer clothes." Van Helsing said.

,, Yes, but I don't have any money..." she said and looked at him. Dracula took her hands in his and kissed her fingers. _That _warmed them a bit.

,, Victory, you are worth so much more than a simple coat." he looked into her eyes and she smiled.

,, At least a coat and some gloves." he said. She let out a small laugh.

,, Speaking of that, we should be going. We need to get back to the inn before we freeze." Van Helsing said. Carl looked at his blue fingers.

,, Too late." they walked down the street, but Victoria felt something prickle on her skin and turned: up in one of the dark windows of the mansion, a pale figure was standing and watching her. She gave an involuntary shudder and wrapped her cold, wet arms around her cold, wet self and followed the others. When she reached Dracula, he held out the right side of his cape, giving him once again the look of a great bird. She stepped up beside him and he wrapped his arm and cape around her. She smiled and they walked down the rainy street.

Horatiu Aulus stood by the window of the drawing room and looked at the woman his foolish friend had fallen for.

,, Pretty, not beautiful..." he said to himself.

**Note on Horatiu: I molded his looks slightly like Michael Wincott's Top Dollar (how do we know he called that? They never say it, so it must be in the cartoon I figure...) from the movie The Crow. I do not own anything of that, either... Sadly...**


	19. Chapter 19

Nineteen.

Conditions.

The day after Dracula's meeting with Horatiu, he took Victoria, and thereby Van Helsing (Carl had gotten himself a nasty cold from standing out in the chilly weather, so he had stayed home. Van Helsing himself coughed slightly and Victoria sneezed from time to time.), to the tailor Horatiu had given him the card to. The tailor was an old man, with small, round glasses and thinning white hair and a friendly way of living. He had asked Victoria to stand up on the small stool and be careful not to fall and hurt herself, and be so kind to hold out her arms like that and he took her measures, scribbling them down on a small piece of paper, nodding to himself and mumbling slightly. He gave one the impression of an old owl.

,, Oh, let's see, yes, yes, quite right... just as I expected...." he mumbled and wrote her height from foot to shoulder and then foot to head down.

Meanwhile to keep Dracula and Van Helsing of each other's throats Victoria begun to talk fabric with Dracula. A mistake.

,, Cotton is fine." Victoria said.

,, Satin."

,, Cotton."

,, Taffeta, then?"

,, Cotton."

,, Silk. You'd like silk." she shook her head.

,, Cotton." Van Helsing, who was standing by a floor-to-ceiling shelving crammed with boxes and glasses with needles and buttons and fabric samples, with his arms crossed as always, sighed and leaned on the shelf. This would take some time. The small tailor chuckled and remembered how it was to be young again and fight with his future wife.

,, Ardass?"

,, That's just a fancy word for silk. No."

,, Atlas?"

,, That's satin. No. Cotton, how many times do I have to tell you?" the tailor calculated some numbers and scribbled them down.

,, Maybe, if you will pardon my intrusion, the lady would pick the fabric and the gentleman..." Van Helsing gave a short snort.

,,... would be so kind and choose the material for the lining?" Victoria and Dracula looked at each other. That seemed fair enough.

,, Very well, but no taffeta." she pointed a finger towards him.

,, And no cotton. It is only fair, that if I can't choose a specific fabric, then neither can you." damn!

After some time, Victoria sighed.

,, Very well." she said as the tailor walked to the shelves and chose some boxes and put them on his table.

,, There, you can step down now, ma'am, I have some fabric here you can choose from." Victoria jumped the small distance from the stool to the floor and walked over to the fabric. Every little piece of expensive cloth had a little note attached with a needle, informing the customer of what it was and how much it cost. She touched a piece of velvet; it was soft and strong.

,, This, I think..." Dracula didn't even look at the samples; he went straight for a shred of silk.

,, Oh, fine choice, highest fashion at the time... Now, colours?" Victoria looked at the grey cloth in her hand.

,, Uhm... Black?" the man nodded and made a note. Dracula ran the silk through his fingers.

,, Red, the darkest shade you have." then he tossed the silk aside and led the small tailor to the other end of the room and they talked in low voices. Victoria walked up to Van Helsing.

,, Wonder what they're talking about..." he shrugged and titled his hat down to cover his eyes.

,, Can't say I'm genuinely interested." then Dracula turned and walked back to them.

,, Now, there's no point in staying here now... Shall we?" they walked out of the small shop and Victoria sneezed in the chilly autumn air.

,, Bless you." Van Helsing said and Victoria nodded in reply. Dracula held a hand to the clip of his cape but she shook her head.

,, No need to, I'm fine." he let his hand fall but still looked... concerned?

,, My palace is nearest from here; we can go there and get some warmth." Van Helsing frowned but followed as Dracula led the way to one of his many homes.

Victoria sneezed and coughed slightly and huddled closer to the fire. She was sitting on a navy-blue chaise longue in one of the rooms of the palace, Van Helsing standing offensively by the door, Dracula walking around and snapping candles to life and opening the curtains to the view of the grey river. He picked up a small blanket and walked over to her, wrapping it about her shoulders and kissing her cold hair.

,, And Gabriel, I do not suppose you desire to sit?" Van Helsing glared and Dracula gave a small grin, before aiming to sit down beside Victoria. But before he even got near sitting, Van Helsing placed a hand on his gun and his eyes narrowed.

,, No worries Gabriel; I would not dare hurting her, especially in your presence. But, I'm still afraid she is quite fit to take care of herself." but before he could sit, a bell rang. It sounded old and rusty, as if it hadn't been used in years. Which was the case.

,, My, my, that would be the doorbell." Dracula almost sounded surprised. He walked for the door and flashed so he was gone, in all probability to open the door.

,, I still can't see what you like him for." now alone, Van Helsing felt it was time to come clean.

,, Sorry to say, but then it's good that's it's not you he's with, right?" he tilted his head.

,, Touché."

,, Why won't you sit?" he shrugged.

,, This is a house of Dracula; you never know what might lurk in the shadows, and I would like to be prepared for anything." she sighed; she would have to talk to Carl about their fighting. It clearly went beyond the 'monster to monster hunter' relationship. And Dracula had said something, a name. Anna.

She had something to do with it and Victoria's overactive fantasy had already come up with several theories, none of them very nice.

Victoria leaned back in the chaise lounge and pulled her legs up and rested them on it. She could easily fall asleep by the warm fire, blanket around her shoulders, completely safe from anything that might harm her.

,, He must love you very much." that word again: Love, love, love, love. Victoria had to look it up in a dictionary; see what all the fuss was about.

,, Yes, it would seem so." turning almost back for her, declining the gift from the Devil...

,, And you love him?"

,, Define love. How many criteria's do I have to fit?" the words were harsh but the voice was kind; she wasn't mad, just curious, and at some point she hoped there was a list somewhere; knowing if she fitted the role would be wonderful.

,, Well, here's one: when he kisses you, how do you feel?" Van Helsing asked. She shrugged.

,, Like I've been out in a snowstorm for day and no one opened their door to me, and then he comes and I somehow know that I'll never freeze around him." well, it sounded about right enough...

Then there was a flash and Dracula was back. And he looked serious.

,, What's wrong?" Victoria asked, slowing feeling herself turning nervous.

,, It turns out Horatiu is missing some vital books. Luckily, I have them at some of my castles." he said, eyes turned towards the fire, voice silent like a philosopher, the letter from Horatiu crumpled in his hand.

,, Yes? It that a problem?"

,, I will have to be gone for at least three days."

,, Oh..." Victoria felt somehow sad, but Van Helsing seemed fine. Shockingly.

,, Well, then you'd best be going, right? The faster you go, the faster you'll be back." Dracula tossed the letter on the fire and turned to face Van Helsing.

,, Of course, but it would be rude to do so, having not escorted Victoria home."

,, Well, as you said: she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself." another verbal tussle was showing on the horizon, and Victoria felt it was best to stop it in time. In time being before one of the two was lying on the floor with a stake through his heart.

,, Well, let's go then." she said and, unwillingly, got up from her warm seat. She took Dracula under one arm and made sure that Van Helsing was on her other side, at all times.

Out on the streets, Van Helsing paced in front of Victoria and Dracula, eager to get back to the inn in a hurry, so Dracula would be gone in a hurry. As the distance between them increased, Victoria licked her lips and said:

,, Would you do me a favour? I know I've been asking for so many already and this would probably not be my last, but if you would then I'd be..." he put a hand over her mouth and looked her in the eyes.

,, Victory, when I remove my hand I want you to tell me what t is you're asking for, and then we'll see. Understand?" she nodded and he let go, fingers caressing her cheeks as he did so.

,, Sorry... What I would like to ask you for, is this: when you feed on your way around the castles, will you at least try..."

,, ... to keep my feast alive." he finished. She nodded. He took her by the shoulders and let her drown in his eyes. In reply of her question, he pressed his lips against hers. She sighed and her hands ran up to his wrists, pulling herself closer to him. Their lips parted and he smiled against her cheek.

,, I will try." that was all she could ask for. They began to walk again, Van Helsing standing and waiting impatiently. They reached the inn and parted by the door. Dracula wrapped his arms around her and kissed her goodbye, Victoria wishing it would be forever, locked in that moment for eternity.

,, I will be back soon." he whispered in a low voice and kissed her by the corner of her mouth. All she could do was nod slightly, and hugged him goodbye. He flashed and was gone. Van Helsing held the door and Victoria stepped inside the warm inn.

,, Announcing the Countess Victoria Dracula." Van Helsing teased. She gave him a friendly shove and they walked up to one of the tables and sat down.

,, You really do feel some dislike towards him... Or is it just because he's a vampire?"

,, Bit of both, I'm afraid..."

,, So, when all this is over, you'll still hate him?"

,, Time will tell, Victoria." he took her hand and squeezed it.

,, But if he does anything to make you sad or hurt, I will spit on his grave every time I walk by."

**Gods above and below, 19! 19 chappies! I never knew how far this would go, but I must say I do like the outcome of it:) Don't worry, I'm planning to end this before chapter 30... Or I hope so, give or take a wish.**

**And once again, thank you for all the great reviews!! I simply love them, they're smart, flattering and hilarious! And I love to laugh, so send many more and make my millenium:) **


	20. Chapter 20

Twenty.

'L' as in 'Love'.

The next day Victoria woke up and didn't want to get out of her bed. What was there to do now? There weren't any people to meet, any to run from, Dracula wouldn't be back till the day after tomorrow...

But then she decided, that it was only the sheep-brained girls in her village, who sat down and waited for the prince. She would go out and find her own entertainment, not just sit and wait around. She pulled on her black trousers she had gotten from Dracula, and the black shirt she had gotten from Van Helsing, Dracula's boots and walked downstairs. Carl and Van Helsing were sitting by a table in the corner and Victoria walked over to them.

,, 'morning... How's the cold, Carl?" she sat down and took an apple from the bowl in the middle of the table and took a huge, crunching bite. Carl sneezed and spilt some of his soup on the table.

,, Nod bedder." he said.

,, Sorry to hear." Victoria said and wiped some juice from the apple of her chin.

,, So, what are you up to today?" Van Helsing asked and pushed his plate of half-eaten breakfast away; bread, cheese and slices of fruit. Even though he did not protest, Victoria could tell he wasn't happy when she took the plate and begun eating his leftovers.

,, Waste not, want not." she said when both him and Carl looked at her in slight distaste.

,, And I don't know what I'll be up to today, just that I'll be up to something sooner or later."

,, Whad aboud Dracuna?" Carl asked.

,, He won't be back for some time, so we'll just have to do without him." she had finished the leftovers and started on the apple again.

,, I thought I might go to his palace today. Explore a bit and such."

,, You do have a death wish." Van Helsing stated. Victoria rested her fingers against her temples.

,, And you do really wish to convince me that I have one." she got up and walked for the door.

,, I'll be back soon." Van Helsing rushed after her.

,, You're not going alone."

,, Please, Carl needs a chaperon more than I do!" she said and pointed to the sneezing Carl, sitting with his soup and looking like Hell.

,, I'm still going with you." she sighed.

,, Very well." they walked out of the warm inn into the cold air and Victoria couldn't wait for her coat, as they walked to the grey palace by the river.

,, It might be locked." Van Helsing said as they reached the door. In reply Victoria touched the wood and the door clicked open.

,, Pure, raw talent." she smiled and walked in, Van Helsing following her like a shadow.

After some time Victoria found what she was looking for; the library. As Van Helsing stood guard by the door, she walked around and searched the massive shelves. Thousands of books, story upon story, all whispering their tales as she walked by. This was a place for her. She held out her hand and let her fingers graze the olden covers, just breathing in the scent of this great, dusty world. She turned and looked at the windows on her left; if people below only knew what they were missing...!

She walked around and found a book she had been looking for, lying disregarded on a corner table. She sat down and opened the dictionary, flipping through the pages. There it was; L.

_Love: an intense feeling of deep affection._

_A deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone. _

She snorted and looked up _romantic._

_Romantic: inclined towards or suggestive of the feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love._

_Relating to love, esp. in a sentimental or idealized way._

_Excitement and mystery..._ Poppycock. Love was a weird thing, if this was what she felt.

,, Victoria?" Van Helsing appeared around the corner and she looked up from the book.

,, Don't worry, I've not been eaten yet." she flickered the pages.

_Victory: an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition. _

_Origin: Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French _Victorie, _from Latin _Victoria.

She closed the book and put it on the table. Van Helsing walked over and took a look on the cover.

,, I thought you read something more interesting." she shrugged.

,, Had to look some words up..."then, a rustling came from the dark ceiling above them. They both looked up, but there was nothing to be found. Van Helsing's eyes narrowed and he put his hand on his gun.

,, Maybe just rats...?" Victoria tried and shrugged.

,, Maybe, but maybe we should get out in a hurry." she gave a small nod and stood up, eyes always on the ceiling. Then the rustling came again and dust fell in thin lines.

,, I think we should go." she said and Van Helsing agreed by nodding and they paced for the door. And then, Hell broke lose.

A screaming so forlorn and insane that it cut your heart in two waved through the chamber and Victoria covered her ears and bit her tongue so she wouldn't join in; Van Helsing bit his teeth closely together and grabbed for his pistol. All the bookshelves began to shake and rumble and the books were hurled from their place and slammed against walls and windows and tables and the two persons by the door. The windows shuttered in their frames and the room went cold. And then it stopped.

Victoria removed her hands from her ears;

,, What... was... that?" she said, looking nervously around.

,, I have a hunch, but I hope it's not what I think it is..." Van Helsing said, talking quite loud; the silence after the scream had made him unsure of his abilities to hear. He looked up and saw the ancient chandelier quiver.

_Oh no. _he thought as the thing dropped and fell to the ground. He grabbed Victoria and forced her head down so he could cover and cradle it with his arms and they both shut their eyes firmly as the thing landed and broke, thousands upon thousands shards of crystals hurling through the room. He let go of her and they fled the room.

,, What is it?" she asked as they stopped to rest, on the floor below the library.

,, An eidolon, I fear."

,, A ghost?" he nodded.

,, Are you hurt?" she shook her head.

,, No... Why is there a ghost here?" they snug along the wall, Van Helsing in front of Victoria.

,, Many vampires bring a person to their homes and then kills them most brutally..." he opened a door and they walked down a small flight of stairs.

,... their spirits stay here... Like guards..."

,, Guards?!"

,, Victoria, imagine if you were a burglar and tried to break in here... The thing would scare you to death." she gave a nod at the thought of the insane howling.

,, Let's get out of here... In a hurry." she grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him to the door. But her hope sank, as the door wouldn't move.

,, Shit." she cursed as the room went cold as ice and her hand almost froze to the brass. Frost starred every surface of the room and their breaths appeared in white clouds. Mist oozed from the invisible cracks in the walls and, if it was even possible, the room grew beyond colder. Victoria lifted her foot and had to do it with some force, as it had frozen to the floor. Van Helsing did the same.

,, N... no... now that coat would have been nice..." Victoria stuttered through her teeth. She was used to cold winters, but this was all her icy mornings put together and then timed a hundred. She could actually feel her eyes freezing in their sockets.

,, When I say so, run back and find the nearest window. Break it and get out...!" Van Helsing stammered. He turned his head and looked at the gathering mist. It looked slightly like a person, the silhouette of a memory.

,, New plan:" he said through his blue lips.

,, Get behind me!" he growled. The mist now looked more like a figure; a slim thing in a huge, flowing gown. Its hair was pale blond and moved like seaweed on the bottom of a dark lake and its eyes were huge and sad.

,, What now?" she asked and felt like a child as she crept up behind Van Helsing. In reply, he grabbed his gun and fired several shots at the ghost; the silver passed right through it and lodged in the frozen wall on the other side.

,, Well, that was efficient."

,, Wait for it." he said. The ghost opened its mouth and talked with a dying creatures voice;

_,, You........ Are........ Fools......." _it hissed through rotten teeth. Then the bullets in the wall melted and ran to the floor in a puddle of light.

,, What it that?"

,, Unstable chemicals... Alkaline and magma... You might want to close your eyes." the puddle shone stronger and everything around them felt warmer. The frost melted and dripped of the walls and the ceilings and the eidolon looked confused.

,, Now, now, it's not concentrating, the door...!" Van Helsing hissed and Victoria grabbed the damp knob and the door opened. He placed a hand on her back and shoved her outside and followed, as the puddle on the floor glowed brighter and brighter. The bottom part of the eidolon dimmed as the light was turned up and it looked bewildered and forlorn. Then it lifted its head and looked at Victoria, like a frightened child with teary eyes. Then Van Helsing slammed the door and seconds later the palace was illuminated; windows overflowed with light and a scream of pain and fear rang through the stones. There was some silence, Victoria not knowing if she should cry or celebrate.

,, Well... wonder what the count will say..." Van Helsing said after some time.

,, It's gone?" he nodded.

,, Oh, he is going to be furious!" Victoria rubbed her temples.

,, So, he let's you pass into his palace, but doesn't lock up his guard dog?" a moment of realization.

,, You're right! When he gets back, I will be furious at him...!" she didn't sound too serious.

,,What was that? The... light?" they began walking back to the inn.

,, A handy little thing Carl invented... he's good with those sort of thing... You didn't think I brought him along for the sake of conversation, did you?"

,, True..." she shivered.

,,... I can't wait to get that coat... I'm freezing to death..." they walked in silence to the inn, freezing and trembling in the wind.

,, Brrr... I could murder for a warm fire." Victoria said and rushed into the warm room and sped to the fireplace and sat down, warming her hands. Van Helsing sighed and took his hat off. He walked to the fireplace and sunk into an armchair, resting his head on one hand. After some time, Victoria sighed and wrapped her arms around herself.

,, It's only been one day and I already miss him..." she sounded forlorn. Van Helsing was slightly surprised; she was really in deep with the count.

,, Don't worry, he'll be back soon... If not, just to agitate me." she huddled down in her chair; she still looked scared.

,, You are nervous...?" she shook her head solemnly.

,, Some years ago, my... parents, the people who were supposed to be there and raise me and protect me from harm, left. Since then... well..."

,, You've been afraid of opening up to people, when they might leave you." he finished.

,, That wasn't what I said." she snapped.

,, But then, what do you mean?"

,,... nothing..."

,, Victoria... I have seen the way he looks at you. And how he talks with you. If he leaves you here, he must have gone mad. Or he will." she didn't reply, but she smiled slightly and blushed.

Carl found the two of them sitting by the fire, Victoria laughing and giving Van Helsing a sisterly shove with her foot.

,, I was five, it's nothing to laugh about." she smiled and slumped further down the chair, crossing her arms like a stubborn child.

Van Helsing turned his head, still smiling from Victoria's reaction.

,, Hello, Carl. Your new bullets worked to perfection..." he stopped when he saw the grave look on his friends face.

,, What's wrong?" Victoria turned and her look changed too.

,, A telegram arrived when you had left..." he gave it to Van Helsing who read the words through in silence.

,, What is it?" she leaned forward.

,, Apparently, one of the Vatican's rejects have decided to take a holiday around one of Dracula's residences..." she shot forward and grabbed the note. She clutched the words in her hand and read them again and again.

,, What... Has he? Is he?" she was trembling.

,, He was trained as one of the Vatican's hunters, but was disregarded when he killed humans to reach his goals. Now, the Vatican has reported sights of him near the old fortress you escaped from." she was shaking so much that she had to bit her tongue to try and tone it down.

,, Is he... How good is he?" they looked like crows at a funeral.

,, He has killed many persons... The Prince of Darkness would be one of his greatest achievements so far... and Dracula is weak..."

,, No! He's too strong, no one can kill him...! He has to...." she rubbed her eyes; she was scared now. Deeply, bottomless scared.

,, Victoria..." Van Helsing sounded like he was going to tell her different and she shot up from her chair, eyes burning.

,, Shut up! I don't want to hear it! He will come back, he wouldn't leave me, you said he wouldn't!" the words were childish and simple; stupid. But she was already scraping up small bits of hope and tried to piece together something solid. She dropped the paper and ran through the room, up the stairs, into her chamber. And she sat down on the bed, shaking with fear.

_He's too strong. No one can kill him it's not possible._

_You almost killed him with a knife. And if this hunter is trained by the same men as Van Helsing._

_S H U T U P!!_

Victoria spend the remaining first day of Dracula's absence convincing herself that it was impossible for anyone to kill him. Van Helsing had even tried and had failed; not that she didn't like Van Helsing, she just cared more for Dracula.

She spend the second day plunging into a pit of dread and fear; if a simple girl like her could send the Vampire Lord to the ground with a small piece of silverware, what could a fully trained murderer do? She cried most of the time, it was her fault; if she hadn't been so scared of being turned into a vampire, he wouldn't have left to get the books.

Even though her tears were silent, a sob or two escaped her and woke up Van Helsing who had been sleeping in the next room. He knocked on her door and walked in even though she hadn't answered. He sat down on her bed beside her and let her cry by his shoulder, stroking her hair and promising her that it all would be all right, and no, it wasn't her fault and Dracula would most likely be back tomorrow. He gently patted her back and somehow got her to sleep.

The third say was spent in agony; one moment Victoria was sure that he would be back by sunset. The next, she was convinced that he was surely dead and it was her fault. Van Helsing and Carl tried, in turns, to get het to eat something but she didn't react to them. She just sat by the window and looked from the street below to the sky above, feeling like a stupid maiden in one of her stories.

On the fourth day, she spend most of her time in the rainy streets of Bucharest, wandering aimlessly around and hoping she would she him around the next corner. And the next. And the next. And the next.

When she got back to the inn she ate a spoonful of the soup she was offered and went to her room, where she let her tears flow freely and sat and wondered how someone could die without actually dying.

On the fifth, where a young boy came and announced that the lady's coat was ready, Victoria had given up her remaining spirits. She sat on the bed and pondered whether she should go and see Horatiu, talk to him about their mutual friend, but see was too scared of the idea that Horatiu would be angry with her. She knew it was her fault, she wasn't in the mood for being told by any other.

,, And she's not better?" Carl asked and took a small swig from the wine in his mug. Van Helsing shook his head.

,, She won't eat, she won't talk, she hardly sleeps... She just... cries and blames herself."

,, Well, at some point, I think it's a shame. She seemed so happy when he was here." they had both, without talking loudly around Victoria, agreed on what she already knew; Dracula was dead and gone.

It was the sixth day of his absence.

Victoria was lying on her bed and waiting for Death to come and take her, but the sting was gone and she felt only despair.

She stayed like that all day, the window opened wide in her room; not that she thought Dracula might appear, but she needed fresh air and the rainy smell from the wet cobblestones below somehow numbed her. That and the autumn cold.

As sun set, even though no one would notice since it had been raining from dark clouds since the early hours of the morning, she curled up as tight as she could and shut her eyes closely, trying to forget his never ending eyes of oceans.

***

Dracula was tired; the last days had been draining his energies but he finally had gathered strength enough to go and see Victoria. He materialized above the floor in her room, slowly descending and landing, soundlessly as a cat, on the boards. Victoria was lying on her bed, covers kicked down at the bottom, looking like she was having a nightmare. He slowly walked up to her and placed a soft, cold hand on her burning salted cheek. She opened her eyes in shock and looked at the figure above her.

,, Good evening, Victory." he said in a soft voice. He looked tired but his eyes glowed like sapphires in the shadows. She blinked.

Then she slowly sat up on the ruffled blankets and placed her hands on his shoulders and ran them up to his cold cheeks. She was shaking like a leaf in a heavy storm and when her tears parted with her eyes they looked like small rivers, tracing down over her face. He stroked her harms with cold, steady hands and ran them up to her hands where he took them in his own and placed long, lingering kisses on both of them, breathing like he was exhausted or had been crying.

,, You... you..." Victoria croaked and Dracula smiled against her right palm.

And then, her rage took over.

,, You... you bastard...!" she cried and tore free from his soft hands and slammed her clenched fists into his chest. She forced him back and got up from the bed and hit him with burning pounds and burning eyes.

,, I can't believe you...!" she sniffed angrily and forced him up against the wall, where she delivered punch after punch to his chest and arms. In silence, Dracula thanked Victoria's rage for being so overflowing; if she had had some time to think a rational thought, she would have gone for his face... or other valued parts.

,, You are so... I hate you!" she delivered punch after punch and Dracula let her. She was upset. He groaned as her fist connected with his chest; it still hurt from his little brawl.

,, I hate you." she repeated and then kissed him, her tearstained lips tasted of salt and rain. He wrapped his arms around her trembling figure and she buried her face between his neck and his jacket collar.

,, Would it be wise of me to point out the contradicting in that act?" he asked and rested his cheek against her soft hair. She let out a small sound, something between a laugh and a sob.

,, I still hate you." she sniffed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

,, I know..." he whispered and kissed her neck.

,, I hate you too, Victory." she wrung slightly in his arms but he didn't let go.

,, I hate that name..." was all she said. His hands stroked her back and settled on it after some time, one on the smaller part of it, and the other between her shoulder blades. Victoria blinked and let some tears escape her. Then she bit her lip.

,, I... I..." he hugged her closer.

,, Yes?" she moved her head back so they looked each other in the eyes. She thought of the last days, of her crying and the bottomless fear.

,, I love you."

**Oohhh, I am ssooooo sorry for the updating! One week, you're relaxing with your family and going through and reading all your christmas presents, the next you're hurled back into your stupid school and every day is a fight to stay awake for more than 30 seconds... **

**Anyways, sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**And, if any f my readers (yes, I mean YOU!) are fans of the Labyrinth movie, I've started a small story, two chappies updated so far:D **


	21. Chapter 21

Twenty-one.

Carpe Librium.

A cold wind from the north, which had been travelling from the icy mountains for days, reached the shimmering pearl of Bucharest and blew over the rooftops with its frosty breath and flew into every crack and open window.

One of those windows led into a small room in an inn, where two figures stood, interlocked in each others arms.

Dracula looked at Victoria with eyes overflowing with sapphire shine. Then he leaned closer and pressed his lips against hers. His hands ran up under her shirt and she parted her lips, letting his cool tongue taste hers.

She could defiantly get used to the feeling.

,, My, if this isn't romantic...!" Victoria stopped her part of the kiss and looked around for the owner of the voice; Aleera was sitting on one of the four bedposts, perched on it like a prepossessing gargoyle. Victoria felt how her happiness sank. She wriggled out of Dracula's embrace and began smoothing out her shirt.

,, Aleera, I told you to stay at the palace." Dracula said soberly, not bothering to turn and face her.

,, I did, master, but I wanted to go with you so bad." she hissed through her red lips, eyes locked on Victoria who was glaring back with daggering pools of fog.

,, Victoria, do not be mad with me...." Aleera said mockingly.

,,... why should we fight? We are far too good for that... We should do with our struggle what I did with your little, weak friend:" she smiled and tilted her head.

,, Kill and bury it." Victoria raised a clenched fist, but Dracula shook his head and turned to face his bride.

,, Aleera, go back to the palace... Now!" she jumped off the post and landed on the floor.

,, Master, I will await you fervently." she crooned and glared at Victoria one last time, before disappearing. Victoria sighed.

,, For a moment, I had forgotten her completely." Dracula wrapped his arms around her and enshrouded his face in her hair.

,, So had I." he twisted her around so they stood face to face.

,, Now, where were we?" he teased and leaned closer, eyes slowly shutting.

,, You were about to tell me, where you have been for the last days." she said. He stopped. And then he sighed and unwrapped his arms.

,, In a fight with one of Gabriel's friends..." she opened her mouth to talk.

,,... And before you ask, yes, I killed him... And I won't regret it for a single second."

,, He was expelled from the Vatican service... And I'm not your master. You do not have to sound so pouting."

,, Very well. How is Gabriel and the monk, by the by?"

,, Friar. And they are fine. Don't know if they will be when they see you, but they're fine." she shuddered in the cold wind and turned her back to Dracula and walked over and closed the window. She stood for a moment and stared out at the last rays of the sunlight and the city.

,, I'm sorry if I sounded angry... Haven't been sleeping for the last days..." she turned and shot into the air; Dracula had moved up close to her.

,, And that didn't help...!" she gasped.

,, I love you." he said. Then he groaned and fell to his knees. Victoria knelt down beside him.

,, What's wrong?" she asked and grabbed him by the shoulder. He shook his head, hugging his sides as he did.

,, Nothing." he hissed though his gritting teeth.

,, Here." she got up and reached her hands down. After some time he took them and she helped him to his feet.

,, Come. My bed." he leaned on her slightly and sat down on the messy covers.

,, My, aren't you eager?" he teased as Victoria ran her hands over his chest. She stopped over his heart and pressed down. He bit his teeth together.

,, You're hurt." she pressed with the same force and ran her hand back over his chest. It very quickly became a fight of willpower; they stared at each other with dark eyes, Dracula fighting to keep back any trace of pain. Still, it could be read in his face.

,, Badly..." Victoria said. She then moved her fingers to the buttons of his coat and slowly, fumbling slightly with every ornamented clasp unbuttoned it. Dracula smirked.

,, Don't look at me that way." Victoria said, concentrating on the buttons beneath her fingers. She unbuttoned the coat and peeled it off him and then began to work on his satin vest.

,, Hard not to, Victory. I believe it's the first time for centuries a woman has undressed me, without wanting me to do the same to her." he traced a finger from her waist up to her chest. She stopped for a moment and swelled silently in the sensation. Then she shook his hand of him and helped him remove his vest.

,, There's always a first time." she said, not looking up from his black shirt. She pulled it from his trousers and began to unclasp it. With every button the smooth shirt opened more and more, like a curtain at the theatre, revealing a cut and bruised, and still quite gorgeous, upper body. His skin was pale and looked like marble in the early rays of the moon and he looked strong without his muscles being too outlined. Victoria felt the blood running through her cheeks and her eyes darted from the comfortable looking Dracula to the sheets beside them. He let out a small chuckle and grabbed her by the chin and turned her head back so their eyes locked in each other.

,, You're blushing, Victory." he simpered.

,, So? I can't help it, it's a natural response." he smiled and leaned up on his elbow, slowly bringing Victoria's head down as he did.

,, No, you're being honest, Victory. In that department, we all are. You shouldn't be ashamed for knowing your boundaries... You should try to break them." she smiled and he pulled her the last inches between their lips. She sat silent for a second, then when he moved backwards she followed him down and let his hands run down over her back. However, when they snug up and tried to pull her shirt with them, she pulled back and sat up again. She was sitting quite uncomfortably, since Dracula's left leg had wrapped itself around her waist. He looked up at her, not bothering to do anything more than lift his head slightly.

,, No again?" she licked her lips and nodded slightly. He began moving his leg up and down, brushing her back in doing so.

,, Sure?" he whispered. But Victoria ignored him and began to examine the cuts, shoving his leg away in a harsh movement.

,, What's this?" she asked and traced a finger along a long cut in his left side.

,, Sword." was his only reply. He was lying on his back and staring at the ceiling, sometimes at her, smiling slightly.

,, I thought you healed instantly." she looked at the bruises and wounds.

,, With ordinary weapons, yes. Gabriel's friend had quite an extensive weaponry. You should have seen me after our last commotion." he sighed.

,, But, I'll heal in time, no needs for you to worry." she touched a round wound above his heart.

,, It's because of me you're hurt, I'll worry if I feel like it, you can't change my mind." he moved his leg up again and gave her a sudden push so she overbalanced and fell down on top of him, hands landing, and stopping her from falling completely, on either side of him.

,, Oh, I believe I can." he whispered and took her arms in his hands and eased her the last way so she know was lying on him. Victoria tried to ignore her heart, which was beating her ribs into oblivion. Dracula placed his hands on her hips and ran them over her body, causing Victoria to sigh heavily. She leaned on her elbows and held her head just above his, eyes glowing like stars.

,, You're hurt." she whispered, making sure that Dracula could feel her breath on his lips.

,, And you're exhausted." she moved her one leg and placed it on the other side of his right one.

,, I am never _that _exhausted, Victory." he replied. She leaned down and kissed him, biting his lower lip slightly. She pulled back and made sure that Dracula's was lying completely at ease.

,, Should I stay?" she asked, pressing herself against him.

,, And give you some strength back?" he moved his hands to her hips.

,, Or take my last away." he smiled. She pulled slightly back, resting her weight on her hands and one of her legs.

,, Well, then..." her leg between Dracula's shot forward in a swift movement, not hard enough to hurt him too badly, but still enough to make him forget his intentions completely.

,,... I'm afraid I'll have to refuse." he groaned and she got up from the bed.

,, Clever, Victory... Quite clever." he gasped and twisted.

,, You need to rest." was her only reply. She knelt down and pulled off his boots and then took his coat and vest and draped them over the bed.

,, You make yourself comfortable, I'll be back in a minute."

,, Comfortable...?!" Dracula croaked. Victoria walked out of the room and paced downstairs. Van Helsing and Carl were sitting by the table they had adopted as 'theirs'.

,, Carl, do you have something to clean cuts with? To avoid infections?" not that she feared that Dracula might get some infection, but it could maybe help him heal faster. They both looked at her, slightly concerned.

,, Cuts?" Carl asked. She nodded.

,, Yes, cuts." they looked at each other, then Carl got up.

,, Follow me." Van Helsing, likewise, got up.

,, Are you hurt?" he asked as they began walking up the stairs. She shook her head.

,, Then why do you need it?"

,, Oh, you'll see..." Carl disappeared into his room and came back out with a dark green glass bottle and a piece of white cloth.

,, Hydrogen peroxide." he said, as if Victoria would know what it meant. He handed her the things and she walked back into her room, with her friends trailing after her. She put the bottle down on the small bedside table and lit the candle so she could see better.

,, Back so soon, Victory?" Carl let out a small yelp and shot in the air and Van Helsing had already his gun in his hand. Dracula had pulled himself up and sat leaned against the headboard, legs crossed in relaxation. Or maybe he just feared another attack. Victoria ignored Van Helsing and Carl's gawks and sat down on the bed and poured the fluid out on the cloth. She pulled away Dracula's shirt and examined his chest, before reaching out and began cleaning the biggest of the cuts. Dracula hissed and twitched and grabbed her by the wrist; Van Helsing placed his finger on the trigger and pointed it towards Dracula. They eyed each other and Dracula let go of Victoria, who sighed and continued unaffected.

,, You are a pair of babies, you know? Not you Carl, you're the only person I can rely on." she said and watched as the wounds turned white and almost looked healed. Carl blushed slightly.

,, So, you're back." Van Helsing said dryly.

,, I applaud you observation abilities, Gabriel. Not many people would be able to state that _so fast._"

,, Oh, would you stop..." Victoria sighed and poured more of the liquid out and cleaned the slit the sword had made.

,, When did he arrive?" Van Helsing asked.

,, Half an hour ago...?" she looked at Dracula who gave a small nod.

,, And when you are done, what do you plan to do?"

,, I'd like to get something to eat and then, I would like to sleep." Dracula looked rather pleased with that.

,, Alone." she said. Then she placed the bottle and the cloth on the table.

,, Done." Dracula looked down and gave an approving nod.

,, A good as new, Victory. May I take you for dinner, as a thank you?"

,, You will not...!" Van Helsing spat. Victoria looked angrily at him.

,, I can take care of myself." she turned and looked at Dracula, who was buttoning his shirt and musing relaxed over the scene.

,, No." she said.

,, I would like to sleep before I do anything else. Tomorrow, maybe?" he pouted as he pulled on his vest.

,, As you wish, little angel." he got up and pulled on his coat. Then he bowed.

,, Gabriel." he hissed. Then he turned to Victoria, who was sitting on the bed. He took her hand and kissed it.

,, Victory." a flash and he was gone. Van Helsing glared at Victoria.

,, What?"

,, Why was he almost undressed?"

,, Because one of your Vatican rejects used him for target practice!"

,, Shame he missed." she got up from the bed.

,, Out." she hissed.

,, Get out."

,, Victoria, I just don't want you to do anything you might regret later..."

,, I can decide for myself!" she shouted.

,, I'm not a child!"

,, Then stop acting like one!"

,, I asked you to come to help me kill Dracula; since there's no need for that anymore, maybe you should go back?!"

,, Don't think you're that lucky! I'll stay."

,, For how long?"

,, Until you can convince me he won't hurt you."

,, It's hard convincing someone who doesn't want to be!" she pointed to the door.

,, Get out."

,, Maybe we should?" Carl asked and edged slightly towards the exit.

,, Victoria, for centuries he has killed and manipulated. Why do you think he will stop now?"

,, Because people change. I have since I was young, he has, and even you have. Carl has."

,, Or maybe he has just turned your head and promised you the world."

,, I won't discuss this anymore. Get... Out." she led them to the door and was about to close it when Van Helsing turned and looked sincerely at her.

,, Just... know what you're doing, don't jump into it without having a guideline to follow."

,, Aren't you romantic? Goodnight." she shut the door and locked it. She sighed and walked to her bed and changed into the torn shirt from Dracula. The right sleeve still had a huge cut and crusted blood had darkened it slightly. Her wound was still bandaged, but Carl had said they should remove it soon and let it heal on its own. She crawled into bed and sighed; why did it all have to be so difficult?

She curled up and blew out the candle.

,, You look beautiful, Victory." she shot up and made sure one of the covers was wrapped around her.

,, How long have you been here?" Dracula strode out of the shadows and sat down in the foot of the bed.

,, Since you got to bed." her face turned red.

,, No worries, I didn't see anything..." she raised and eyebrow.

,,... apart from what I should see and what was only right to see."

,, Listen, I'm too tired for anything else but sleeping..."

,, So am I." he waved a hand and his coat unbuttoned. He pulled it off and did the same with his vest. He opened the first buttons in his shirt and pulled off his boots. He leaned closer to Victoria who moved back.

,, You have nothing to be worried about." he said and after some time, she moved slightly and he lied down beside her.

,, If it can bring you any comfort, I will sleep on the covers and you can sleep under them."

,, You are the strangest creature I've ever met." Victoria said, not lying down beside him.

,, Same to you, Victory." when he lay on the sheets he looked like a great cat, eyes glowing in the light of the moon outside. After some time, she huddled down beside him, but pressed herself against the wall; she had never slept beside anyone before. Dracula reached out and touched her shoulder.

,, I've missed you..." Victoria said in a small voice.

,, And I have, too, have missed you."

,, We went to your palace some days ago... I wanted to see the library..."'

,, That explains the mess. And Gabriel is the one I can thank for ridding my eidolon of its duties, correct?"

,, You shouldn't let it walk around freely. It's dangerous."

,, Not anymore."

,, Sorry..."

,, No need to be." she felt the last days pile up on her and yawned.

,, Tired?" she nodded. He pulled the covers closer around her and moved closer to her figure.

,, Then sleep." her eyelids were heavy and she curled up and looked at him.

,, The coat's finished... We can go and see Horatiu soon..." he wrapped his arm around her and she didn't protest.

,, Victory, it's late. Let tomorrow be tomorrow and let the night be the night." she yawned again and rested her head on his still chest. His fingers stroked her hair and twisted around the black locks. The soft movements lulled Victoria into a deserved sleep and Dracula smiled at the feeling of her beating heart falling into a smooth rhythm and her breathing doing likewise. Her body was warm and her scent was sweet; he wrapped his other arm about her, protecting her from the dangers of the Romanian night.

,, I thought you were dead." she whispered in her half-sleep.

,, I am... But, I found the books. I won't be so hollow for much longer."

,, Hollow..." she whispered and slept.

Dracula was tired, but sleeping reminded him of the last days; lying and gasping for breath, wounds not healing, listening to Aleera sobbing in fear, listening to the Hunter's heartbeat, smelling his castle burning...

But after some time he closed his eyes and rested beside Victoria, the northern wind howling outside.

**Not really much to say... R&R, little creamcrackers:)**


	22. Chapter 22

Twenty-two.

Change of address.

Victoria stretched and turned in her dreams and in her real life. She felt a cool finger graze her cheek and she opened her eyes. Dracula was lying beside her, resting on his elbow and lovingly petting Victoria with his free hand.

,, You're starring." she said, not mean, just stating.

,, You're beautiful." he answered. She pulled the blankets closer around her and sat up. He looked mildly annoyed.

,, Where's my clothes?" she asked and looked around. He pointed a finger at the floor behind him. She wanted him to move so se could get out, but he didn't look like he would react.

,, Well, can I get it?" he smiled like a wolf.

,, Try." she eyed him and edged her way to the floor, but he caught her on the way and spun her back into the bed.

,, This will take all day." she smiled as he leaned down and rested his forehead against hers.

,, I can wait." he placed a soft kiss on her lips and she wrung around him and got out on the floor, looking like a Greek goddess in her toga made from sheets. She found her trousers and her shirt and turned to Dracula, who was sitting on the bed and smiling at her.

,, Close your eyes." he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, smiling like he was in the theatre.

,, Or else?" she threw her shirt at him and it wrapped itself around his face and neck and she pulled her trousers on, while he was momentarily blinded. He pulled the shirt of and looked disappointed.

,, Oh, such a shame." she eyed him as he held up her shirt.

,, One little flaw in your plan, Victory; you still need this."

,, I'll get it..." she walked over and sat down on the bed and pulled her boots on.

,,... sooner or later." she leaned back against the foot of the bed. Her eyes travelled down to his chest and she leaned forward and touched the buttons, fingering at them and opening the shirt slowly.

,, You are sending me some strange emotions, Victory." he took her hands in his.

,, Just let me see." she said. She peeled the shirt off him and looked at the white scars; cuts, stabs and all manners of wounds. Her fingers traced over the lesions and she swallowed.

,, I should never have let you leave." she mumbled.

,, It's all my fault..." he took her hands and held them tighter this time.

,, Victory, why worry? I am still here and you are foolish to keep thinking of it." he pulled her closer.

,, But it looks like you are hurt." he rolled her torn sleeve up and looked at the bandage.

,, It's nothing." she tried to pull the sleeve down but he stopped her and tore the bandage open. It fell down and revealed a wide scar, white and pink around the edges. He touched it with his cold fingers.

,, That would be the crossbow Gabriel carries with him, that has done that?"

,, Yes..." he lifted her arm.

,, And it would be because of me, correct?" a small nod was her only reply.

,, Victory, watch and learn:" he kissed the scar and nuzzled the edges with his soft lips. Victoria felt her skin prickle and she saw the wound heal and close.

,, See, why feel guilty? All wounds heal, in their time." she gave a blushing smile and he let go of her and handed Vitoria her black shirt. She took it in both hands and he turned his head.

,, I will close my eyes, Victory...

Only for a short while, though." she gave him a soft push and changed shirts in seconds. When he turned his head back and opened up for his icy lakes, he smirked and pouted like a spoiled child.

,, Don't act like that." she said. He began buttoning his shirt, making Victoria envy him; it looked so easy for him, but when she had did it, she had been blushing and shaking like a leaf. He took his vest, the black satin shining in the morning light, and pulled it on and buttoned it. Then he got up from the bed and put his shirt down his trousers, then he pulled his coat on and reached a hand out to Victoria. She took it and he helped her up from the bed, not letting go of her hand and making sure they stood just perfectly close.

,, Maybe I should go, before Gabriel comes and finds us together."

,, You're not leaving..." she said and he smirked.

,,... I'm hungry and you promised me something to eat. A breakfast would be a perfect way to repay me." he didn't reply, he just flashed and they stood outside.

*

,, How do you eat it?" the orange ball-like thing in Victoria's hand smelled spicy and sweet. Most of the morning they had been walking around between the stalls that had been jammed into the narrow streets, Dracula spoiling Victoria with all kinds of honeyed crumpets and nuts and berries, everything from sour blueberries to juicy grapes. At a colourful stall owned by a beautiful woman in warm shades of blue he had bought the 'fruit' she now looked suspiciously at.

,, Take a bite." Dracula proposed. She sniffed it; lovely and spiced. If it tasted anything like it smelled, it couldn't be that bad. She lifted it to her lips and buried her teeth into the peel of the orange. Her features twisted as the acidic perfume clung to her teeth and made them feel like they were melting. Dracula chuckled.

,, I am sorry... I just wanted to see how you would eat it..." he said as Victoria licked her teeth in a vain attempt to rid herself of the tangy acid and eyed murder at him.

,, You are supposed to peel it, Victory." he took it and sliced the pod open with his nails and handed it back to Victoria, who took it with some caution, as if she feared it would detonate. She peeled off some of the skin and, with some effort, forced one of the boat-like fruits out of the whole. She took a small bite and chewed it in silence.

,, Not bad." she replied and took another, considerably larger bite. They walked down the dew-wet cobblestones, Victoria eating the fruit in small bites.

,, Don't you ever miss it?" she asked.

,, Miss what, little Victory?"

,, You know..." she licked the juice from her lips.

,, Eating." he laughed dryly.

,, Well, it took some time getting used to... But you learn to live with it... Or in my case, not live with it." she looked at him, and somehow felt sad.

It seemed wrong that he should be a vampire; hadn't she been told how shallow and simpleminded killers they were? It wasn't like that. _He _wasn't like that.

He tilted his head and looked at her.

,, Victory, you look troubled." he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she wrapped the cape closer.

,, Just thinking, that's all..." he squeezed her tighter.

,, Let us fetch your coat."

*

Victoria looked in the mirror; she looked so weird. Not strange, but the coat was without hesitation the most expensive thing she had ever worn. It was long and ended below her knees, the black velvet shrouding her in a deep shade of shadows. Along the trim, silver thread slithered in the form of small tangled ivy; the blood red lining had matching embroidery in a dark red thread. The coat's buttons were of shining silver, and it had been cut to line out her slight curves in a fashionable way.

She looked alien.

She felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and saw Dracula in the corner of her eye, looking at her in the mirror.

,, You... look... breathtaking." she smiled and gave him a slight push.

,, Better get you out of the way before he sees you..." she looked at her lone figure in the mirror.

,,... before he doesn't see you." he chuckled and stepped out of the reflection.

,, Dracula, this is too much... It will be years before this will wear down." she ran her hands over the shoulders of the soft coat. It was warm.

,, Vladislav, Victory. And I would gladly drown you in riches and gold.

But then again, a rose looks stunning no matter what."

,, I'll call you by your first name when you call me by mine." she put her hands on her hips and cocked her head, smiling like a fox with a secret.

,, Clever. Which reminds me; when we are done here, we need to go to my palace." she glanced in the mirror one last time and walked out of the looking glass reflection.

,, Oh?" she smiled. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

,, I promise; you'll be happy afterwards." he leaned in for a kiss but was interrupted by the small tailor, clearing his throat. Victoria blushed and pulled slightly away from Dracula.

,, I hope the coat is to your liking?" Victoria nodded.

,, It's beautiful...! I have never seen anything like it." Dracula smiled and touched the fabric with his fingertips.

,, Good work." was his only comment. He pulled out a black purse and placed it on the counter.

,, And I had the... box delivered to the inn, as you asked me to, sir." Victoria looked from Dracula to the tailor.

,, Thank you, the payment is all in there." he made small motion to the purse.

,, Great. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another customer." he gave a small bow and was gone. Victoria looked at Dracula with a raised eyebrow.

,, What box?" she asked as they walked out of the small shop.

,, You'll see." Victoria smiled as the cold wind rushed through the streets and she didn't freeze. Dracula took her arm and they walked for his palace, talking about nothing and everything, Victoria asking him several times about the box.

When they arrived, Dracula led her to the room with the blue chaise longue, where an old friend waited for Victoria.

,, Told you you'd be happy." she rushed forward and grabbed her satchel and opened it; all her books, her old clothes, whole of her old life was there.

,, You got it? You went back and found it?" she rummaged through it; it was all there. Then she noticed something; a dark path, the size of her palm, on the worn cloth of the satchel.

Blood.

She touched it and her happiness fell; it wasn't hers.

,, Is... is this yours?" he walked over to her and looked at the mark.

,, Afraid so... how I did miss it in the first place I'll never know." Victoria felt venom rise in her mouth.

,, Were you ever close to... dying?" he looked at her, pondering if he should spare her or not.

,, Yes." she bit her lip. Dracula placed four of his fingers on her cheek and turned her face towards him.

,, Now, none of that Victory. I'm here..." he said in his ancient accent.

,,... and I would never allow myself to die... I have too great a reason for live." she sat down on the chaise longue and put the bag on the floor, unbuttoning her coat with shaking hands. She peeled it of and hugged herself, letting her hair fall down over her face so it was impossible to see her eyes.

,, Victoria..." Dracula whispered and sat down beside her. He gently put a cold hand on her arm and murmured softly, edging closer to her.

,, Victoria... Victoria... Victoria... Victoria..." he slipped his arms around her and her arms clasped around him in return. She dug her face down into his coat and tightened her grip, not knowing whether to cry or not.

,, There, there my darling..." he whispered.

,, Some time ago, I was all alone." Victoria sniffed, hugging Dracula as she talked.

,, And I always thought I'd die alone... And, when you were gone...And I know that this sounds selfish... I thought... that I would..." he chuckled and stopped her talking.

,, Victory, little Victory. Gracious angel, you are not losing me that easy..." he coughed silently.

,, But if you wouldn't mind, could you loose your grip a tad? I find it difficult breathing..." she squeezed him teasingly tighter.

,, You do not need to breathe." she replied.

,, True..."

***

Van Helsing paced back and forth in Victoria empty room, fuming like Hell.

,, Well, no one downstairs saw her. And she isn't here. And the window is locked from the inside, so she must have been accompanied by Dracula." he said.

,, Yes, but they'll be back soon." Carl tried.

,, When I get a hold of him..."

,, I've missed you too, Gabriel." Dracula and Victoria stood behind him, Victoria in her new coat and Dracula with his ever-mischievous smirk.

,, Where have you been?" Victoria rolled her eyes.

,, Please, it's far too early for a yelling...!" she took of her coat and hung it over the headboard.

,, Victoria, that's a lovely coat...!" Carl said, trying desperately to turn Van Helsing's attention away from Dracula. Victoria took the hint.

,, Yes, thank you. I've grown to like it quite much... Your cold sounds better."

,, Where have you been?" Van Helsing said again.

,, Gabriel, this is Bucharest: there is a limit to how many carnal orgies take place before midday... Luckily, we managed to find some." Victoria sat down on the bed and Carl walked over to her, the two of them feeling they were companions in arms here.

,, Carl, would you do me a favour?" he turned and looked at her. Victoria handed him a pillow.

,, Hold this over my face and keep it there until I've stopped squirming.

And bury me in the blue waves of the sea, in a white gown and with my hair loose. And forget everything about wrapping me in sail cloth; just toss me in the water and watch me sink into oblivion." he gulped and looked at the pillow.

,, That's many things to remember."

,, Van Helsing, try to piece this together; last time you saw me, did I have this?" she pointed to the coat. Reluctantly, Van Helsing shook his head.

,, Well, where do you think we went then?" she could see how he ran out of steam when he saw the coat.

,, Well, but that doesn't give him the right to get little gifts send to us. We are not his private postal service."

,, Oh, the box...!" Victoria realised. When she looked around she saw it, a large box stood on the floor in the corner of the room.

,, Ah, I knew we'd forgotten something." Dracula said and gesticulated towards the box.

,, Open it." he offered and Victoria stood up. Van Helsing's eyes shot fire at her back, but she ignored him and sat down on her knees and lifted the dust grey cardboard lid of the box. She looked down in it, Van Helsing and Carl peering over her shoulder. Victoria gawked.

The box contained two or three dresses, all absolutely beautiful. The first one was made out of dark red satin with a corset-like zigzag thread running up the back in a beautiful way. It looked like an everyday dress made out of the finest material.

The other was of heavy velvet dark blue with silver buttons with rubies down the front.

The third was the colour of her eyes; dusty pearl with dark grey ribbons lining the trim. Victoria's jaw dropped as she leafed through the dresses; on the bottom of the box, a cream white nightgown lay, along with undergarments and petticoats, some silken stockings, a pair of black lace boots, like the ones she had worn at his castle, and a small silver box. She opened it; inside the blue velvet-lined box lay a silver comb and several crystal flacons, with amber coloured drops and some with scented oils. A subtle hint of lavender welled up in the air.

,, Oh... my..." Dracula smirked at Van Helsing and walked up to Victoria.

,, Oh God, I'll look like a queen!" Victoria smiled like a child and held up the blood coloured.

,, This is far too much, I can never repay you...!" she got up and hugged him, arms around his neck. Dracula looked Van Helsing in the eyes and smiled like a jack from a box, before he hugged Victoria back.

,, I have ordered some trousers and shirts for you, Victory, but I thought it best to give you a new wardrobe in intervals." Victoria was overwhelmed; she had never been given so beautiful clothes! Ever!

,, Please, Dracula, you are far too kind...!" Victoria said his name with a slight tone to it, making him remember her words from the tailor. She let go of him and tried to stop her blushing.

,, Now, there's something you don't hear every day." Van Helsing growled. Dracula send him a cold smile, but before they could start another word-toss, roars sounded downstairs.

_,,...Vampire...!" _one sounded. The three persons and the one vampire in the room stiffened. Van Helsing glared.

,, Not me, Gabriel." Victoria ran for the door and flung it open and sped downstairs, the three other following. No one would see another person, even Dracula, in the mob of angry people in the inn. It was a sea of nervous and angry voices, scared and upset and gossiping.

,, I'm tellin' ya: this is no ordinary feedin'...!" one voice said.

,, How can it be? It's so heartless." another mumbled.

,, I've ne'er seen nything' like this!" an old man spat. Victoria felt a knot in her bowels and walked over to an elderly woman, standing and whispering with a young maid.

,, Excuse me, could you be so kind and tell me what has happened?" behind her, Van Helsing and Carl did the same; Carl asked a young mother with her child on the arm, and Van Helsing talked to a grubby street salesman. Dracula just stood in the room and listened, eyes closed, picking up the words and piecing them together to sentences.

,, Well, a home for orphans, just a short walk from here, has been attacked by a vampire..." the elderly woman explained to Victoria, who turned slightly paler. The woman patted her arm in a motherly way.

,, There, there, dearie; we have many vampires here, but this one was special. It wasn't even hungry, just... mad. Most of the children are gone, some dead but the majority ran for safety..." they talked further and Victoria walked back to Dracula, who looked like he had heard it all. Which he had.

,, Aleera." he stated dryly and Victoria swallowed. He touched her cheek and leaned in, so they could talk and no one could hear them.

,, I will have to leave. I need to find her." she leaned in to his cold touch and bit her lip. Leave...

,, Gabriel." Dracula said loud. Van Helsing walked back to them and gave Dracula an icy look.

,, What?"

,, Take care of her..." Victoria wanted to say something, but was interrupted as Dracula placed his thumb over her lips.

,,... make sure you have an eye on her at all times, and do not leave her on her own when the evening falls..." Victoria twisted and got free of Dracula's hand.

,, Don't I get a word in this matter?"

,, No." he walked for the door and Victoria followed.

,, But, when will you get back?" she wrung in and out between the buzzing people.

,, When I can. I will contact Horatiu and we will take it from there."

,, But..." he reached the door, turned and choked her words with a goodbye kiss, before disappearing out into the midday light. Van Helsing came up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

,, Off again?" but he felt it wasn't time to joke. He gave her a quarter of a small hug.

,, Come, let's get away from this."

***

Aleera was sitting on the floor of the entrance hall in Dracula's palace, nibbling at a small baby's hand. The bones were weak and the marrow was sweet. The doors slammed open and Dracula rushed in.

,, Master...!" she got up and left the sweet bones on the marble and ran for her master and embraced him lovingly.

,, Come, master, you have to taste this." she giggled insanely and wiped some blood of her lips and ran her fingers over Dracula's lips, inviting him to lick it off. She was shoved away and he looked at her, cold eyes glowing out from a stone face.

,, You killed far too many, Aleera." he growled.

,, From now on, you will stay here. Leave and I will know." she smiled at him.

,, Master, you've gone soft...!" she teased. He growled lower and his teeth grew. Then he shot forward and grabbed her by the neck, slamming her against the floor as he knelt down.

,, We are in Bucharest...! We never kill that many!" she whimpered but he just tightened his grip and watched her eyes overflow with fear.

,, Because of you, we will have to stay silent for the next days! You have ruined the months to come for all the vampires in the city!" he roared. Aleera began to cry like a child, still looking beautiful as ever.

,, I'm sorry, master. But I was so hungry... And you weren't there... I beg you, please..." after some time, Dracula let go of her and stood back up with his back turned to his bride, who shaking got to her feet.

,, It's all _her _fault..." she sniffed like a spoiled child. Dracula tensed. He knew whom Aleera referred to.

,,... that little... cunt." he spun around and made a deep, growling roar at her, eyes black and teeth needle pointed. Aleera flew backwards and cowered in a corner, hissing pettily at him and crying in fear.

,, Ever speak ill of her again, Aleera..." Dracula hissed, silently relishing in her fear.

,,... and I will kill you." he walked up to her and she hid her face in her hands.

,, Now, go to your chambers and _stay_." she looked up and sniffed; her perfect makeup was smudged and it had drawn long black lines down over her face.

,, Now." he ordered and she disappeared. He stood and glared at the corner for some time and then turned back to the room and sighed. Time to write some messages.

***

Around evening, Victoria sat on the bed in her room, legs crossed and buried in one of her books, trying to ignore Van Helsing, who stood leaned against the wall by the door. She flipped the page and sighed.

,, Really, there's no point in you staying here; as you can see, I'm perfectly safe and I have no intentions to leave for now."

,, Dracula wanted me to protect you; if he fears for your safety, so do I."

,, The one thing you can agree on...

And he doesn't fear for my safety, Aleera and I are just not the best of friends." she finished the chapter and closed the book.

,, Still, Aleera can be insanely jealous... Best for me to stay here."

,, I can take a pink brat down any day...!" Victoria said. Van Helsing sighed.

,, Shows what you know about vampires."

,, Aleera and I have fought before; I stabbed her in the shoulder."

,, And then?"

,,... And then she knocked me to the ground and if Dracula hadn't arrived, I wouldn't have been here... Well, maybe I would, but I'd look different. Missing a body part and such..."

,, See?" she sighed.

,, Very well, you won this round..." she looked out of the window.

,, Missing someone?" Dracula asked as he appeared out from the shadows. She turned her head and smiled at him.

,, Not at all." he walked over to her and sat down beside her.

,, Horatiu and I have talked; we can come and stay at his mansion. Rooms have been prepared for us and we can leave when we want to." his hand moved over the sheets and their fingers interlocked. All they could do with Van Helsing watching them.

,, Did you tell him that we would be four people coming along?" Van Helsing wouldn't leave her and Carl wouldn't either.

,, I may have dropped a hint. In all cases, the attic is always available." he squeezed her fingers and she sighed at him. Then she turned her head at Van Helsing.

,, Unless you don't wish to come?" he straightened up.

,, No, I'm afraid we'll have to follow you. I don't believe that you'd be safe alone in a mansion with two vampires."

,, And a human staff. Beside, I've lived alone with vampires before."

,, And were they both males?"

,, No. But I can..."

,, ... take care of yourself, I know." he nodded.

,, I'll tell Carl to pack up."

,, We can leave our belongings here; Horatiu will send his servants to collect them." Dracula said, looking at Victoria but talking to Van Helsing. He stood in the door for some seconds, and then he walked out.

,, Now that he's gone..." Dracula leaned quickly forward and stole a kiss.

,, Did you find Aleera?" Victoria asked and huddled closer to him.

,, Yes... No need to think about her, she won't feed on anyone in the near future."

,, Will she be coming too?" Victoria didn't know if she should be angry or not.

,, No, she need to stay at the palace..." he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger.

,, Let us not talk of her." then Van Helsing walked in and Carl came after.

,, Should we go then?" Victoria got up from the bed and pulled her coat on. She took her satchel and looked at Dracula, who already stood by the window.

,, We'll be joining you soon." he nodded and was gone and the three persons walked out of the door.

,, One could be tempted to try a little run off..." Van Helsing said and Victoria gave him a slight push.

,,... but I won't."

**:D. **

**The hugging dialog is inspired by a comment I got from Lady Nightlord, so applause for her:)**

**And I'd like, even though I'll be doing it again and again, to thank EVERYONE! The Silent Readers (sounds like a book title...) and the Reviewers! **

**I have never been so happy!:D It's really flattering:) **


	23. Chapter 23

Twenty-three.

Pretty.

,, It's about autumn now, right?" Victoria asked. Dracula nodded.

,, I believe so. In little over a fortnight, it's All Hallows Eve. Then comes November and then it is winter." had she really been at his castle so long? She blew at her fingers.

,, I should have bought you some gloves..." she shrugged.

,, I'm fine. Besides, we're there soon. Don't worry your pretty little head about it."

,, Am I to stand this attitude much longer?" he asked and grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up so her ear was on the same height as his lips.

,, Or are we soon through?" he whispered and kissed her.

,,No worries, you only have to stand my attitude for as long as I want you around. Then I'll cool off." she smiled.

,, I have not seen you this happy for some time." he said as they turned a corner.

,, Well, I can't help it. Right now, my life couldn't be better." she sounded so honest.

,, Sure?"

,, Well, there's still some loose ends, but my life hasn't been this smooth for some time." she slipped on the wet cobblestones and almost fell over, but maintained her balance.

,, You were saying?" Dracula asked and placed a hand on the small of her back. Victoria didn't mind.

,, Oh, don't you start...!" she said. She wasn't lying; it had been long time since she had been so happy. She was in love and everything seemed so perfect.

,, I still can't thank you enough for the dresses..."

,, You were in need of some new clothes. Can't have you running around and look like a little shepherdess, when there's so much more to be found in you."

,, Oh, like what?" the words he said next could have kept Victoria warm without her new coat, possibly forever. He leaned in, as if he feared Van Helsing or Carl might would listen in on them.

,, A countess." he whispered softly. Victoria blushed like you wouldn't believe it and she looked him in his eyes.

,, Really?"

,, And a queen. And a lady. And a pauper. And a reader. And an angel. To me, Victory, you are everything."

,, I believe the same goes for you..." Victoria wasn't good at all that... giving compliments...

,,... And even though you spoil me beyond reason, I have never met anyone as kind as you..." he pinched her side slightly.

,, You've said it before, Victory, you can say it again." she sighed and grabbed his hand and moved it a tad to the north.

,, And I'm afraid I love you..." she said, not looking anywhere near his direction. He just smiled and walked on, Van Helsing and Carl just in front of them, heading towards the mansion.

,, Count Dracula and guests?" the young girl from the last time they had visited Horatiu stood in the door once more and looked at the strange quartet.

,, Indeed." Dracula answered. She curtsied and stepped aside.

_And guests... Well, at least we're not out in the cold this time._ Victoria thought.

,, May I take your coats?" the girl asked. Victoria shook her head and gave a friendly smile.

,, No, thank you." Dracula just shook his head solemnly. She turned to Van Helsing.

,, Your coat, sir?"

,, No." he said dryly.

,, Your hat?"

,, No."

,, Very well... The master is waiting for you in the ballroom." she turned on her heel and led the way. They walked into a huge, cool and white room, where paintings of landscapes and ruins of olden castles hung on the walls. Up over their heads a white balcony lined the walls, with thousands of white bookshelves standing on them, filled to the brink with literature. Huge windows on their right showed the rainy grey skies outside. Victoria looked around and gawked slightly.

,, Vladislav, what took you so long?" the four persons looked up; far above their heads stood Horatiu Aulus, upside down with his long hair falling down in a smooth stalactite. He had his hands folded on his back and stood and grinned down at them, like he had a secret.

,, A small intermezzo with a person who thought too much of himself." Dracula answered. Horatiu jumped and flew down at them, turning in the air like a cat, graciously and smooth. He landed in front of them, bowing slightly in respect.

,, Now, this must be your friends...!" Van Helsing let out a small snort, but remained silent. Horatiu walked to him, not ignoring the young woman he had wanted to meet for so long in a disrespectful manner; more like he was saving the best for the last.

,, The infamous Van Helsing." they nodded at each other, Van Helsing glaring suspiciously at the vampire before him. Horatiu just smiled.

,, It would be a lie to say that you haven't made yourself any enemies amongst our ranks." Horatiu said, smiling coldly.

,, But you are here as my guests. I have never hurt any persons invited to my house, and I do not intend to start now." he bowed for the monster hunter.

,, Welcome." he turned his head toward Carl and grinned like a libertine wolf.

,, And you are?" he asked, red eyes glowing dimly like embers.

,, Carl is my partner. And the person who designs my weapons." Van Helsing answered. Horatiu smiled a little colder and a little wider.

,, Then you must be the person responsible for the little lightshow in Budapest last year?" Carl swallowed and nodded slightly.

,, Amazing work...! I lost some dear friends that night; they could not have had a more spectacular death! It is good to know that a fellow scholar will stay under my humble roof. When in time, we must discuss your inventions!" Victoria leaned closer to Dracula, not taking her eyes of the beaming Carl.

,, He will never stop talking about this, I can assure you." they smiled at the comment. At the whispering sound of Victoria's voice, Horatiu turned.

,, And you must be the enigmatic mistress who have turned my friend's cold heart into its former self?" Victoria gave a small nod and held out her hand. She was still used to greeting people by a handshake, but Horatiu didn't comment on it as he took her hand and kissed it lightly.

,, Positively delighted, miss...?"

,, Victoria." she answered.

,, Miss Victoria. Horatiu Aulus, your most humble servant." he bowed deeply and Victoria cursed herself for blushing; she still wasn't used to be talked to that way. Like she was some kind of exotic princess.

,, But please, I'm neglecting my duties as a host...! You must want to refresh yourselves. Kathenka will lead you to your rooms and when you have done your making up, we can meet in the drawing room." he looked out of the window.

,, It is cold, I will have the kitchen prepare something warming for you." he waved a hand a the girl, Kathenka, who had been standing silently by the door.

,, Kathenka, would you be so kind and show your guests their quarters?" she curtsied and led the quartet out of the ballroom and up a huge staircase. They turned down a wide hall and Kathenka led them to four huge doors in the massive walls. She opened the first.

,, This will be your room, sir." she said to Van Helsing. Then she walked to the next door.

,, And this will be yours." Carl smiled nervously and thanked her. She led Dracula and Victoria down to two doors in the wall opposite of the one where Van Helsing and Carl's rooms were. Van Helsing followed at a small distance.

,, The master thought this room might please you, sir." Kathenka said and Dracula whispered in a low voice to Victoria.

,, Oh, and I who hoped we'd be sharing a room." she nudged him slightly. Kathenka walked to the last door.

,, And lord Horatiu asked specifically for you to have this room, ma'am." Victoria raised her eyebrows in surprise. The room was huge and looked like a queen might live in it. In the middle of the chamber stood a huge four-poster bed with dark red velvet curtains and huge lion feet. The dark hardwood floor was polished to perfection and was somewhere hidden under soft Persian carpets. A huge vanity stood by an armoire by a large window with view over Bucharest. The wall on their left was one huge bookshelf, sadly empty. And on a chair by the bed stood the box with Victoria's dresses. She didn't know Horatiu's servants, but they must work fast. Kathenka curtsied and left.

,, I must say Horatiu has quite an expensive taste." Van Helsing said and looked around.

,, Is that leaf gold?" Carls asked and motioned at the vanity.

,, Impressive." Victoria walked to the window and looked out.

,, Wonder why he wanted me to have this?" Dracula walked up and stood beside her.

,, This is the north side; hardly any sun reaches this spot. Many vampires use north corridors for their guest rooms."

,, But I'm not a vampire..." his gloved hand reached out and touched the back of hers.

,, No, but would you prefer to live in the east wing?" her fingers wrapped themselves around his.

,,... No..." Van Helsing cleared his throat.

,, Well, maybe we should go and let Victoria fresh up?" she turned and dragged Dracula with her around, as he still held her fingers.

,, Do I need it?" she smiled.

,, No." Dracula answered and squeezed her hand.

,, But still..." Van Helsing said.

,, Gabriel, this will be the first and the last time ever, when I listen to you." Dracula let go of Victoria's hand.

,, I will come and get you when you're ready." Dracula didn't want to admit it, but he himself needed to freshen up a tad. Nothing much, but still...

,, Good." Van Helsing turned and left the room along with Carl.

,, Should I change...? I have the dresses, but..." Dracula took her hand once more and lifted it in the air and spun her around as if they were dancing.

,, You still look ravishing...! And, if I must say it, you look quite gorgeous as you are..." looking at Dracula, twirling around and around as she was spun with him, Victoria couldn't stop smiling and titter.

,,... but if you wish to undress, I will certainly not stop you...!" she stopped, standing and facing Dracula, their hands still over their heads.

,, Oh, why am I not even the slightest surprised?" his lips grazed hers as he spoke.

,, Well, you must have come to know me quite well." he didn't kiss her, he just left the promise. Their hands descended and Dracula let go of Victoria once more.

,, Well, I must be going." she nodded and he strode out of the door, closing it behind him with a wave of his hand. Victoria smiled and peeled off her coat; she draped it gracefully over the armchair by her new bed and opened the box. She took out the silver container and placed it on the vanity. She opened it and took out the comb and began to run it through her raven locks, with some force since they had been tangled by the evening wind. Then she took one of the small flacons, opened it and smelled the amber drops; it smelled like a dewy meadow in autumn. She put a small drop on her finger and ran it across her neck. She did the same with her wrists and one small drop was combed out in her hair. Then she walked to the bed and grabbed the golden twine by the foot bedposts and pulled it; the crimson velvet drapes got pulled up and revealed a black silken curtain, a huge lacework of shadowy fabric. Victoria touched the black web and looked how it all quivered under her fingers. Through the holes in the web, crisp white linen sheets and pillows showed. She walked to the other bedpost and found a similar twined rope and the black web joined the red drapes. She walked back to the box and pulled her dresses out; she placed the nightgown and her petticoats on the made bed and her stockings on the vanity beside the silver box. The boots was placed on the floor and the dresses got hung up in the wardrobe. The empty box got pushed down under the bed. A polite knock sounded on the door.

,, Victory?" Victoria's eyes rolled with mild annoyance.

,, Are you decent?" Dracula asked.

,, Yes."

,, Oh, then I will come back later." she could hear his smirk through the wood.

,, Get in...!" the door opened and Dracula slit in. His cape and his gloves were gone and he looked like he had changed to a pair of freshly polished boots.

,, Do I look... Good enough?" Victoria asked. She had never been nervous about her appearance, but she wanted to look respectable for Horatiu. He was going to help them; she could at least look like she wasn't a tomboyish urchin. Dracula walked to her and placed his hands on her hips and looked her from top to bottom, judging her appearance in a theatrically taunt.

,, Perfect, Victory. Simply perfect." he leaned in and enshrouded his face in her hair and sniffed her perfume in deeply, making Victoria's skin crawl in a pleasant way. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, savouring the feeling of his lips nibbling her skin and his cold breath on her neck. Her knees felt giddy as Dracula's hands moved up her back in circles and his lips parted slightly and he whispered softly against her skin:

,, I am sure that Horatiu would understand if we were late..." Victoria sighed and stroked his neck with her fingertips.

,, And what would Van Helsing say, if we weren't downstairs in five minutes?"

,, Victory, have you ever noticed how fast a vampire can move? Five minutes are more than plenty." his teeth gently bit her skin, not even near breaking it.

,, No..." she whispered in a silent voice, eyes slowly opening once more. Dracula listened to her soft heartbeat; she wasn't ready for it. He knew it would hurt her, he had seen it before; young girls who walked through life like any other, but would never stop wonder about why they had did it. Always pondering, always regretting. Always hurting.

He sighed and loosened his arms slightly, but he didn't let go of Victoria.

,, I will regret this for some time..." he mumbled and pulled back. Victoria leaned closer and rested her forehead against his.

,, I'm sorry... I love you, but..." he shook his head.

,, We should be getting downstairs..." she looked sadly at him. He let go of her and walked to the door, which opened to his person. Hesitantly, Victoria followed.

,, I see... And it runs on propulsion?"

,, Yes, and lately I've been working on bolts with a core of a liquid called glycerine... So if the bolt should fail..."

,,... the poor soul would be blown into smithereens...! Brilliant!"

,, Now, Carl, my work includes a lot of running and humping about; I won't go anywhere near those things until you've figured out a way for them to explode _only _when fired...!" Horatiu, Carl and Van Helsing could be heard talking a long way down the hall and Victoria couldn't help smiling slightly. As they reached the door, Dracula turned and looked her in the eyes.

,, What?" she asked. He tilted his head and kissed her, making sure that she was aware that he wasn't angry with her; that he could never be that again. Victoria leaned closer to him and relaxed; it had gone from something otherworldly to something glorious when he kissed her.

On the other side of the door to the drawing room, Horatiu couldn't help but tease when he heard the sound of his friend and the pretty mistress outside. He discreetly waved a hand at the door and it opened, revealing Dracula and Victoria in a silent osculation. He sat in his armchair by the fire and sniggered slightly at the sight. Carl sat in the sofa diagonally to him and Van Helsing stood behind it, both looking at the sight with mixed feelings.

In the door, Dracula pulled back and turned his head gracefully at the small audience.

,, Our apologizes for the delay." Van Helsing looked at the two with a bitter mask of stone. Victoria walked inside and Dracula followed, door closing after them.

,, What is it now?" Victoria asked Van Helsing and slumped down in the sofa beside Carl, Dracula taking his place in the other armchair by Horatiu.

,, Nothing..." he answered.

,, Now, miss Victoria, I trust the room is to your liking?" Horatiu asked and leaned back in the chair. Victoria nodded.

,, Oh, it's perfect. Thank you, you're most kind."

,, And Vladislav, I know it's far from what you're used to, but..."

,, It's a fine room. The coffin is an exact replica of the one I am familiar to, it is most pleasing."

,, Good." he waved a hand at the round polished table in the middle of the room. On it stood a silver tray with mother of pearl embellishments, with two white porcelain cups with blue flowers painted in a swirly pattern and a white plate with some biscuits. The cups were filled with a steaming, dark red liquid and they smelled warm; the third cup stood in front of Carl, Van Helsing didn't want to drink, apparently.

,, I thought you might like a little good-night drink." one of the cups floated into the air, the saucer following. It flew to Victoria who took it in her hands and watched at the cup landed with the small sound of porcelain against porcelain; she smelled the drink. It was wine, filled with small pieces of cinnamon and almonds. It had been boiled and the very smell of it made Victoria sleepy. She took a sip from it and felt how the wine warmed every inch of her.

,, Delicious." Victoria said. She looked at Van Helsing.

,, Let me guess; you don't drink?" he shook his head.

,, Apparently, the great Van Helsing doesn't like being drowsy." Dracula said and crossed his legs.

,, Around you, no." Victoria took another sip and put the cup on the table. She leaned forward and Horatiu did too, knowing what she wanted to do.

,, And this is pretty much how it goes... I am sure you'll get used to it." he smiled.

,, I'm glad to hear. Now, I am ashamed to say I do not know anything about you... Where are you from?"

,, A small village to the north. This is my first time in Bucharest, I've never seen much of my country."

,, Though you strike me as quite a smart lady. Must have been listening to many a story told by travellers?"

,, Some..." she thought of Velkan, who had told her about the world outside her small village. The best summer of her life.

,,... most of my knowledge of the world comes from books I've read..."

,, Ah...! Well, the mansion does provide a library or two. Feel free to take whatever books you like, they haven't been read for some time."

,, Oh, thank you. You really are far to kind, helping us with... everything. I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you enough."

,,... but then again, you've not _only_ killed monsters, have you?" Van Helsing and Dracula were still arguing, but now Van Helsing looked like he would gladly take it a step further. He turned towards Dracula and took a few, threatening steps towards the vampire count, who stood up in a flash and bared his fangs. Horatiu turned his head back to Victoria with a raised eyebrow.

_What is usually the next step of this? _his blood red eyes asked. Victoria turned her head and looked at the two men. After some time, Dracula sat back down and Van Helsing turned his side to him again. She turned back and took the cup with a sigh.

,, Impressive." Horatiu smiled.

,, So, you are from the north...? Any family?"

,, No... Not anyone I would recognise as one..." Dracula titled his head and Horatiu raised his eyebrow once more.

,, Oh?"

,, My... "family" left me when I was younger. And I've sworn to forget everything about them and pray we never meet." Dracula did not know that. He just assumed her family was dead, he couldn't think of any reason to leave her.

,, Don't look at me that way...!" Victoria said to the two vampires and the silent Carl.

,, Beg pardon." Horatiu said.

,, Victory..." Dracula started, but Victoria emptied the cup and stood up.

,, I'm going to bed. Good night." she said and looked at the early morning light on the sky outside. She walked to the door. Dracula got up from the chair.

,, I'll escort you." he said.

,, No need to." Victoria said and slit out of the door. Dracula walked after her, but Van Helsing took a step and cut Dracula off.

,, No." he said.

,, Gabriel, I said I would only listen to you once." Dracula said and walked around Van Helsing, making sure their shoulders connected with a thud. Van Helsing clenched his fists, but Carl stood up.

,, We should retire now. It's nearly day." Horatiu looked out of the window.

,, My, my, so it is."

,, Victory?" Victoria looked up from her book.

,, What is it?" she asked. She was sitting on her bed in her ankle length nightgown, with the ivory buttons down the front, the three upper undone so she could breathe properly but still not showing anymore than her pale neck, trying to read herself to sleep. She had pulled the curtains to the window so she could ignore the early morning outside.

,, May I come in?" she closed the book.

,, Be my guest." she knew what was going to come and she felt it would take some time.

Dracula opened the door and stepped in. He looked at her in the nightgown.

,, Bewitching." he said. She gave him a small smile and pulled her legs up to her chin and he sat down on the bed.

,, You never told me about your family." he said simply.

,, You never asked." she shrugged. She looked him in the eyes.

,, What is it?" she asked.

,, Don't look like that...!" she said. She knew the glow in his eyes.

_Pity._

,, I don't like it..." she said as he leaned closer.

,, What is wrong with a little compassion, Victory?" he asked and stroked her one leg with his fingers.

,, Pity. I don't want you pitying me." she said, slightly ashamed for sounding like she could control another persons emotions.

,, Oh, I think you do." Dracula said simply. As she strung at his words, he moved his fingers to her interlocked hands around her legs and stroked them gently.

,, You are not me." Victoria moved away from his touch.

,, You don't know how I feel."

,, Victoria..." he moved closer to her, so close she could feel his cold breath on her face.

,,... I think you need to be pitied..." she looked at him, rage burning somewhere in her eyes.

,,... without being thought less of." his cold eyes bored their way into Victoria's.

,, You need someone to cry for you..." her heart raced as he spoke out her thoughts. She hadn't even known how to put it, but he had...

,,... without thinking you weak." he leaned back and gave her some space to breathe in. She just looked at him, not knowing what to say.

,, They _left _you. And I will show compassion if I will," he smiled.

,, you can't change my mind." Victoria suddenly felt dizzy. She edged over the bed until she sat beside Dracula, who tried to ignore the promise of her soft skin under the nightgown.

,, I love you." she said. The words were still strange in her mouth, like they weren't written for her to use. Dracula just smiled and wrapped his arms around her, exterminating the last space between them as he held her tight. He kissed her eyes, as if she had been crying.

,, We should get some rest." he trailed a line from her cheek to her lips with his lips.

,, Tomorrow, we can talk further." he whispered. He had teased long enough and Victoria kissed him before he could kiss her. Dracula held her tighter and changed his weight and gently pushed her down in the bed. After some time, lying and wishing they could stay like that, Dracula sighed and pulled back, leaving Victoria on the covers with the top buttons in her gown undone. He had to fight the urge to tear the silk off her and kiss her until the sun went down once again.

,, We should sleep now." she didn't protest as he got up from the bed, but when his hand was on the grip of the door she let out a small croak.

,,... Wait..." he turned and looked at her though the weak shine from the candle on the bedside table. She got up and walked to him, the gown flowing around her and making her look like a ghost. He opened his arms slightly and she baby stepped into his embrace.

,, Thank you..." she muttered.

,,... for..."

,,... showing some compassion." Dracula finished. He squeezed her and overheard the voices in his head, screaming to finger at the gown's buttons.

,, Sleep tight, Victory. Pleasant dreams." he had never liked long goodbyes so he flashed out of her room and into his own. He sighed and looked at the coffin, black marble with shadowy white veins running through the stones.

If only he could sleep beside Victoria once more, without getting any weaker.

As the winter sun edged over the sky and announced that morning was here, as Victoria slept in her bed, tossing in her dreams and looking so small yet so elated, as Dracula rested under the icy marble, frost gathering in the room, and Carl turned over and snored on, and as Van Helsing sat in the armchair in his room, hat on the table beside him along with his weapons, head gently tilted down on his chest and sleeping with his guards up, Horatiu Aulus walked around in the basement of his mansion, down past the wine cellar and looked at the tools on the table in front of him; books mostly, but also flasks with holy water and silver knifes, going over the last details before he would rest. He looked at a kirpan, designed by him for slicing through the ribcage in a fast movement and sighed.

He had forgotten how bloody the job was...

**HISTORY TIME, everyone!:D My family has housed some queer folk, including me ( cool, huh?).**

** Anyways, some of my family helped rebuilding _Koldinghus _after the fire. And I've pretty much grown up in the building...**

**One of the rooms, an old ballroom, I've always liked and I thought it deserved to be mentioned: Horatiu's ballroom is molded after it.**

**w w w . k o l d i n g h u s . d k / D e f a u l t . a s p x ? I D = 2 4 0 5 ,just imagine it to be bigger and with more height between floor and ceiling:)**

**Thanks for the reviews!:D **


	24. Chapter 24

Twenty-four.

The colour of love.

Victoria pulled the curtains and looked out over Bucharest, bathed in the last pink rays from the setting sun. It was quite nice, waking in the evening; usually when she woke, the morning light cut its way through her eyes. Now, she could relax, wake slowly.

She pondered for some time and chose the crimson dress from the wardrobe. She pulled on a pair of the stockings and laced up her boots. She combed her hair and looked in the mirror; some time ago she would have laughed if someone told her she would be wearing _satin_ and _silk! _The thought was so unfamiliar.

A knock sounded on the door.

,, May I enter?" Dracula asked.

,, Why not?" Victoria said and Dracula walked in. He looked at Victoria in her dress, the evening light illuminating the room.

,, My apologizes, I must have chosen the wrong door... Have you by any chance seen a young girl, about your age, around here? She looks like you, but at the same time, not." Victoria smiled.

,, Very entertaining...! Now stop it, I'm not used to looking like I'm going to a fancy dress party." she crossed her arms over her chest and Dracula walked up and kissed her cheek, hands stroking her upper arms.

,, You look absolutely artistic...! Now, I believe breakfast is being served."

,, It's evening." Victoria said as she and Dracula walked out of her room.

,, You still need to eat." he said. She gave a small nod as they walked down the hall.

,, True..." he placed a hand on her back and they walked down the stairs and Dracula led the way to a dining hall, where Carl and Van Helsing already sat. Carl was eating like there was no tomorrow and Van Helsing sat and picked at his food.

Dracula leaned close and kissed Victoria's neck.

,, I'll dine with Horatiu. You stay here and entertain Gabriel." he whispered and lingered over her vein with his lips, mostly to tease Van Helsing, who sat and watched them closely. Victoria sighed and gave Dracula a push. She walked over and sat down beside Carl and looked at the plate of untouched food in front of her; mortadella, cheese, slices of cucumber, omelette, black tea and yogurt for drinking. She licked her lips.

,, I say, they eat good in the cities...!" she grabbed knife and fork and began eating.

,, Horatiu spoils his guests..." Carl said. Vitoria swallowed and took a sip of the tea and nodded in agreement.

,, Well, if he feeds of them they need to have had a healthy meal. No reason to dine on hungered people." Van Helsing grumbled and took a small bite of his half eaten omelette.

,, You don't really trust any vampire, right?" Victoria asked. She drank the yogurt and sighed; she hadn't eaten this good for a very long time.

,, I still can't comprehend you do."

,, Am I dead yet?" Carl rolled his eyes and leaned back; he had decided to watch the show in silence. Van Helsing shook his head.

,, That's not the point, Victoria..."

,, Have I been bitten yet?"

,,No..."

,, And since none of you are dead of bitten, we hold no grudge against Horatiu, at least."

,, Yes, but Dracula is still not to be trusted... And Horatiu is still a vampire."

,, Well, I didn't ask you to come along. You are free to go back to Rome or wherever it is you come from, and leave me be." she took a cucumber slice between two of her fingers and ate it, chewing in silence.

,, We won't leave you alone." Carl sighed.

_We. _How come he couldn't go back to Italy? He came to kill a monster; when there was no monster to kill, he could go back and work on the new bolts for the crossbow. Even though it was nice talking to Horatiu; a fellow scholar who appreciated his work.

,, Listen, I really am grateful for all you've done, and no offence, but when will you go back home?"

,, When whatever it is Horatiu has invented proves to work or not..."

,, And if it works?"

,, Then... Victoria, do you know what it will mean? If there is a cure, the victims of vampires can be healed! And the vampires can...!"

,, And what if they don't want to turn back?" Victoria asked. But before Van Helsing could answer, the doors Victoria and Dracula had entered by opened, and the two vampires entered, strolling along in their elegant way of walking.

Victoria looked at Van Helsing, almost shocked; would the Vatican force the vampires into this treatment? No, they couldn't...!

She got up from the chair, her eyes still boring into his. Then Dracula placed a hand on her shoulder and the contact between them broke as she turned her head. Dracula chuckled.

,, You look upset, Victory. Something the matter?" she swallowed, her mouth had suddenly turned dry. She turned her gaze back to Van Helsing, who still sat and looked at her with those hard, hazel eyes.

,, No..." she said in a small, slightly sad voice. They couldn't _force_ the vampires; some, like Horatiu, seemed kind and had settled for their fate. Maybe they were happy with it, you could never know. Dracula traced his hand up to her cheek and stroked it with his cool fingers. His eyes darted and met Van Helsing's. His gaze turned icy bluer.

,, Really, I'm fine...!" Victoria tried and Dracula turned his head back. In those eyes, nothing could be hidden.

,, We'll talk later..." she mumbled. After some time Dracula's eyes dimmed and a trace of a reassuring smile could be seen in the corner of his pale lips.

,, Now, I hope you enjoyed the food?" Horatiu asked and changed the subject in a manner which led one to believe that he didn't do it to... well, change the subject.

,, Yes, thank you." Victoria smiled and Carl nodded. Van Helsing just sat.

,, Now, maybe we could get to the point now? We did come here for a reason." Van Helsing said and stood up, taking his hat that had been lying beside his plate.

,, Yes, quite right..." Horatiu nodded.

,, If you please." he bowed and gesticulated at the doors. Dracula's hand moved from Victoria's cheek down to her shoulder and wrapped his arm around them. He gave her a small hug and they walked out of the doors, following Horatiu with Van Helsing and Carl behind them. They walked down a narrow set of damp stairs, where torches on the walls gave an eerie atmosphere to the place. A rich, velvety scent filled their nostrils and Victoria sniffed in deeply.

,, Wine...?" Horatiu turned and sent her one of his glimmerings smiles.

,, Yes, the wine cellar was here when I was a small boy. When I became a vampire, I couldn't bear to rid myself of it; which means my servants drink as they dine...! But please, do tell me if you fancy something in particular. I'm sure I have whatever you like somewhere down here." the cellar was huge, with massive stone pillars to hold up the ceiling. Dusty wine bottles and barrels lined the walls and fruity aromas filled the air. Victoria smiled and they walked on, her heart beating faster in her chest with every step; what did the treatment involve? She remembered that Dracula had told her it was _extremely painful_. When a vampire said that, I would most definitely be _extremely painful_.

,, You are nervous...?" Dracula said and squeezed her tighter.

,, Of course I am; if you get hurt I'll never forgive myself." he sniggered and kissed her temple.

,, I would gladly get Gabriel to try those new bolts on me a thousand times, just to see you turn your head in my direction." Victoria felt he wasn't lying. No one had ever spoken to her like that. She wrapped her arms around her self and huddled slightly closer to Dracula; and she wasn't prepared to lose him now.

Horatiu led them down some more steps and Victoria looked around; the room was huge and even the torches couldn't choke the shadows completely. A large table stood in the centre, crammed with books and...

Victoria swallowed.

... knives.

,, You're not going to hurt him?" she asked. Horatiu looked them while he unbuttons his jacket, so his white silk shirt became more and more visible.

,, Well, as a part of the process, some... hurting will occur, but he will be fine." Dracula removed his arm from her shoulders and gave her the most mischievous smirk she had ever seen.

,, No need to worry, I won't let him do anything permanent to me." she tried to smile, but when she saw Horatiu disregard his jacket on the table and weighing a large silver knife in his hand, she failed. Dracula saw her shining eyes and stroked her cheek with a cold finger.

,, Come." he whispered and pulled her close and kissed her. Victoria's lips parted and her arms wrapped themselves around Dracula, as their kiss became more ardent. His hands clutched the satin of her dress as his cold tongue tasted every inch of her mouth, as if he searched for her warmth and tried to get a hold of it. Horatiu began rearranging the knives and the books, giving his friend some privacy and Carl became very interested in looking everywhere else than where the two persons stood. Van Helsing just stood and looked them, slightly pain and loathing, slightly numbness was to be read in his eyes.

Victoria hugged Dracula closer and realised she didn't even care that the other saw her; let them watch. Then she realised the buzzing feeling in her head was not only caused by Dracula's lips, but by the fact that she hadn't been able to breathe in for the last thirty seconds. She pulled away and gasped for air as Dracula continued to kiss her, moving skilfully down over her neck and shoulder. Victoria sighed and looked at Horatiu over Dracula's shoulder.

,, If you hurt him I will never forgive you..." she threatened as Dracula moved back up again, lips remaining just above her skin, his cold breath making Victoria quiver like a willow.

,, Vladislav?" Horatiu asked and Dracula, growling in annoyance, turned his head.

,, Maybe we should get started?" he gave a small nod and let go of Victoria, who slowly loosened her grip around him.

,, So, the procedure is actually fairly simple:" Horatiu explained.

,, Vladislav, you will stand here..." he pointed to a place between two stone pillars. Around each pillar, a heavy chain was attached with a grim looking cuff at each end. Dracula nodded and too, unbuttoned his coat. He handed it to Victoria, who began to fold it in silence, trying to take her mind off what was to come. His vest followed and was tossed aside on the table. Victoria stepped back and stood in the middle between Van Helsing and Carl. She looked around at the books, chains, flasks and knives, shining in the orange light of the torches.

,, This looks like a torture chamber..." she said in a small voice and looked at the two vampires, two friends talking like this was something which happened every day, stone angel faces and smiles crowning their faces.

,, Maybe it is." Van Helsing said and tilted his hat and crossed his arms, something he did on a regular basis.

Dracula opened his shirt and stepped into the space between the two pillars. Horatiu picked the one iron cuff up and snapped it around the wrist of the vampire lord.

,, Won't they break?" Van Helsing asked, hazel eyes looking out under the brim of the hat; apparently, he was interested.

,, You would think so, but no." Horatiu sounded like an excited teacher.

,, You see, church silver has been melted into the iron; handy little trick, almost unbreakable...!" he explained and walked around Dracula and snapped the other cuff; now, his arms were stretched out from his body so he couldn't strike out after Horatiu.

,, You might not want to tell him too much..." Victoria said, hugging Dracula's coat close to her chest. If Van Helsing were taking notes, it would be a good idea not to give him too much information. Horatiu just smiled.

,, Now, miss Victoria, I will need an assistant at one point; interested?"

_Not really...._

,, Of course." she gazed at one of the daggers; _assistant _could be anything. She walked to the table and put the coat down, Horatiu walking around and leafing through some of the books.

,, Now..." he traced a finger down the page. Victoria looked at the upside down illustration; a human torso, one half with flesh and one part shoving the bones, with little notes down the paper.

,,... I understand perfectly if you won't participate, I can call one of my servants down if you wish?" Victoria wanted, more than ever, to say yes. But she wouldn't. She would stay by Dracula's side in this; it was, after all, because of her he was doing this.

,, No, I'll stay." he gave a nod, friendly and slight awe.

,, Very well..." he pointed towards one of the flasks.

,, You take that when I say so." Horatiu rolled up his sleeves and took the silver kirpan and read down the books again. Victoria walked over to Dracula, heart up in her throat, hands shaking.

,, No, I won't let you do it. Not anymore, he's not slicing you open...!" Dracula shook his head.

,, Victory, don't... When this is over, we will forget it has ever happened... And, I promise you, I'll take you to wherever you desire; mountains, cities, libraries...!" he was trying to comfort her, but it didn't work. She turned to Horatiu, who had unsheathed the knife.

,, Horatiu, I am terribly sorry, I..."

,, Gabriel. Would you be so kind and lead Victoria to her room?" Van Helsing walked slowly towards her.

,, No, please..." she turned back to Dracula.

,,... I won't let you do it, I'll stay, but please don't...!"

,, Victoria, are you sure?" Van Helsing asked. Victoria shook her head.

,, I won't leave him..." she said in a small voice. She turned back to Horatiu.

,, The flask?" she tried to sound proud and unaffected, but she didn't know if it worked.

,, Yes, when I cut through his ribs, the healing process will begin almost immediately: you need to pour the water around the edges of the wound and then, leave the rest to me." Horatiu said. Victoria swallowed, but clenched her fists and walked to the table, picking up the flask Horatiu had pointed to before. She clutched it in both hands and sighed as she turned back to Dracula who was smirking at her, proud as ever. Horatiu walked up to him and the two vampires looked each other in the eyes.

,, Ready?" Dracula eyes darted and caught Victoria's, who was stepping closer, flask shaking in her grasp. He didn't answer, he just nodded.

Horatiu grabbed the handle of the knife with both hand and buried it deep in the chest of Dracula. The chained up vampire let out a croaking gasp as the silver cut its way through his bone; Victoria made a small whimper and took a slight step backwards, eyes burning in her head. Dracula's mouth was opened in a soundless groan and black blood dripped from his white lips, as Horatiu looked him gravely in the sapphire eyes and cut down his upper body in a straight line, with one hard wrench. Victoria let out a small sob.

Horatiu forced the cut open with his hands, his grip slipping in the wet black blood; darkness was the only thing to be seen in Dracula's chest.

,, Victoria..." he spat with exhaustion. But, even though she knew what was expected of her, Victoria found herself unable to move. She just stood and stared, shaking like a leaf. Dracula's icy eyes looked at her, pleading and caring, but Victoria just couldn't move as the cut began to close at the ends, Horatiu fighting to keep it open. Then a hand grabbed the flask in Victoria's trembling hands and Van Helsing stepped up beside Horatiu and gushed the water out in the wound. Victoria choked a cry and stepped backwards and stepped into Carl, who took her gently by the arms.

,, Let's get you out of here." he just said. Victoria looked at Dracula, who gave a small nod, Horatiu working around his ribs with something that looked like a large hook, not turning his head the slightest.

,, But..." Van Helsing peeled his coat off and threw it on the floor, along with his hat.

,, I'll stay." he said.

,, And help." he added. Victoria wanted to thank him. And Horatiu. And she wanted to stay by Dracula, but Carl gently led her away, up the stairs and through the cellar and up in the cool entry hall. She felt a few tears run down over her cheeks and Carl padded her arm slightly.

,, Don't worry..." he comforted.

,,... he'll be fine...!" Victoria rubbed her eyes

_Not now. _

and looked at Carl.

,, Carl, will you do me a favour?"

,, If it's like that pillow-thing, I won't." he said, obviously joking to make Victoria lighten up and she gave him a small smile.

,, Tell me about Anna."

***

Around midnight (Which, Victoria had figured, was like midday in the winter time.) Carl had finished his story and he and Victoria now sat in the drawing room, playing chess with pieces carved out of crystals and onyx. Victoria moved her one knight and took Carl's last bishop.

,, So, he didn't kill her?" Carl looked at her and moved his queen back.

,, Dracula?"

,, No, but Van Helsing blames him for it." she gave a small nod and let her king slither away from the danger of the open board.

,, I see..." she felt sad for Van Helsing and angry with Dracula, but he had changed since then; she knew he had. And Van Helsing had made his peace with Anna's death, Carl had told her; but he still felt... alone. Suddenly, Victoria realised she maybe should show she cared for Van Helsing, when time came.

,, What's taking them so long?" she asked, her knotting bowels burning in her chest and her imagination spitting out theory upon nasty theory.

,, I'm sure they'll be done soon." he said. Victoria bit her nail and stood up, wandering around in the room.

,, It's all because of me; if I wasn't so scared I wouldn't fear being a vampire and then we wouldn't need to do this..." she clenched her fists so her nail cut into her palms.

,, I hate being such a coward!" her eyes itched again and she turned her face away from Carl.

,, Victoria, I may not know that much, but I know this; you are no coward." Carl said.

,, None of us thinks you any less than brave; and Dracula is doing this because he cares too deeply for you to see you end up like Aleera." Victoria made a small twitch and turned, eyes shining but lips parted in a soft smile.

,, I would look _awful _in a dress like hers...!" she said. Carl laughed silently.

***

,, There, that's enough for now." Horatiu said, sounding positive as ever. Van Helsing put the flask down on the table and Horatiu turned, eyes gleaming, wiping Dracula's blood off his arms and hands with a white towel. He gave an approving nod.

,, Thank you." Van Helsing shrugged and looked at Dracula, being held up only by the chains. He looked on the verge of dying, but his blue eyes shone more than ever, blood running down over his throat and closing chest.

,, I'm doing this for her, not for you." he said.

,, Well, with a bit of luck, three more treatments should do." Horatiu said. He walked up to Dracula and looked at the bloody shirt and the thick cut in his chest.

,, I hope she's worth it, old friend." he said and touched the one cuff, which snapped open and Dracula stumbled and leaned against the pillar where his other hand still was attached, almost falling to his knees, coughing up dark blood and groaning in torment.

,, She is." he croaked as Horatiu opened the other cuff and the vampire lord fell to the damp stones of the dungeon, hissing and smiling at the same time.

,, My advise would be, to get some rest and then get something to eat." Horatiu leaned down and padded Dracula's shoulder. Then he took the kirpan in one hand and a dagger in the other; he scooped up the black cobweb-like silk, woven out of air, black magic and curses with the knives and walked to the nearest torch and burned the silky threads to smut. The material had been torn out from Dracula's insides by Horatiu, looking like thousands of spiders had taken home between his ribs, wrapping his insides in black silk. Horatiu made a face as they burned.

,, Now, you should retire." he said to Dracula, who forced himself to a standing position and wiped the blood of his chin with the back of his hand. He nodded and was gone, his coat and vest disappearing with him. Horatiu tossed the knives on the table and rolled down his sleeves before pulling on his jacket.

,, Now, I do not know about you, but I could do with a drink and some more pleasant surroundings?" Van Helsing nodded and the two men walked up the small steps and out into the wine cellar.

*

When they entered the drawing room, Victoria almost flew at them.

,, How is he?" she asked, heart throbbing in her body. Dracula wasn't with them... Horatiu gave her a kind smile and took place in his chair and poured himself a glass of blood mixed with wine from the carafe on the coffee table.

,, He's resting now. Everything went according to plan, no need for you to worry." she bit her lower lip slightly.

,, Thank you, Horatiu. Thank you." she walked to him and tried to curtsey as best as a village girl from the forests could. Horatiu snorted dryly and got up from his seat.

,, Miss Victoria, no need to... Vladislav and I are friends... I would gladly help a friend of mine any day." he bowed to her.

,, May I congratulate you on your heart? Such purity in intentions has not been seen for quite some time." Victoria smiled shyly, then she changed her weight from foot to foot and sighed.

,, I'll go and see to him." she said and turned for the door. Van Helsing opened his mouth to protest but reconsidered and closed it again; he himself was tired, and Dracula hadn't seemed like he was able to hurt a kitten.

*

Victoria pondered if she should knock on the door or not, and finally decided 'not' and walked in. Dracula's room was a replica of hers, but instead of the great bed was a black marble coffin. The walls were covered in frost and Victoria could see her own breath in the faint light from the street outside. The coffin had no lid, and as Victoria stepped closer she saw that a thick layer of ice covered the resting figure of Dracula. She walked closer and knelt down by the side; under the ice she saw a billowed image of a person, pitch black blurs where Dracula's clothes was, bone white where his face and hands were. His arms had been folded over his chest with the hands resting on his shoulders, like he was dead.

_He is. _

Victoria tried to remind herself. After some time, sitting and looking at the sleeping Dracula, Victoria lifted her fingers to her lips and kissed them before placing them on the cold ice, above his cheek and stoking it like she could feel his cool skin. Then she got up and sat in the armchair by the coffin's left side and pulled her legs up over the armrest. She yawned and huddled down in the cold chair.

*

When Dracula found Victoria in the chair, he first listened to her heart for some minutes; the silent beating of it relaxed him and made him forget the pain in his chest. Then he got up from the coffin edge, where he had been sitting and watching her in lovingly affection, and reached out and shook her shoulder. Mustn't keep her in the cold for too long.

,, Victory?" he whispered. Victoria mumbled something and opened her eyes.

,, How are you?" he asked.

,, It should be me asking you that." she said and tried to sit herself up. But Dracula's arms slipped around her, one about her shoulders and one under the joint in her knees and he picked her up.

,, I can walk for myself, you know." she said, smiling slightly as he carried her towards the door.

,, Yes, but why when I am perfectly capable of carrying you?" he asked as the door opened and he walked out into the empty hall, eyes not breaking with Victoria's. Secretly, he ignored the stabbing pains in his chest. The door to Victoria's room opened and Dracula walked in. Outside, the sky was greying but it couldn't be more than three in the morning.

,, I would like to be put down." Victoria said. She didn't like being carried; it made her feel slightly weak.

,, As you wish, Victory." Dracula said and leaned down and placed Victoria on the bed. He lifted her head and placed a pillow under it, before unlacing her bots and placing them on the floor.

,, Don't call med that." Victoria said. Dracula gave her a soft smile, ignoring her words in his annoying manner of ignoring what people asked him to.

,, I will need to get something to eat." he said and leaned down, not telling what he was going to eat and knowing he didn't have to.

,, Should I come back afterwards?" he asked, knowing that if she said no he could eat slowly and probably get a word or two with Horatiu. If she said yes, he would swallow the blood and return as fast as possible.

Victoria reached up and stroked his cheek.

,, Yes." she smiled. Without a word, just a loving smile, Dracula flashed out of her room. She smiled and rolled onto her side, eyes heavy as iron. Then another flash, and Dracula was back.

,, That went fast." she smiled. Dracula just smiled back at her and stroked her hair with his smooth hand.

,, I need to go back and rest at some point..." he said. Victoria nodded.

,, I know." Dracula pulled his boots off and slid down in the bed beside Victoria, so they were lying with her back against his chest. She yawned again and he wrapped his arms around her, one around her shoulders once more and one around her belly. She sighed as he pulled her closer and rested his head on the soft pillow her hair made.

,, Did it... hurt much?" she asked.

,, Not as bad as it would have been, losing you." he whispered. Victoria felt his breath in her hair and realised she had so many more things to talk with him about, but before she got her chance, her eyelids slid closed and she slept. Dracula smiled and hugged her closer, her red gown flowing out over the bed like a bloody sail from a child's most dreaded nightmare.

**Damn. It ended up with her sleeping again...! No worries, little friends, the next chapter will soon be up. **

**And this one will include all the best subjects; blood, fight, books, love, second thoughts, and a crossbow will be fired at some point! **

**R&R!:D**


	25. Chapter 25

Twenty-five.

Love of her life.

It had been early morning when Victoria had woken and found herself alone in the bed. She had gotten up and changed into her nightgown, before falling back into the warm embrace of the bed and had huddled under the covers and she had slept for some time, the pale light growing outside.

Then she had gotten up once more and pulled on her coat and her boots, not worrying too much about the lacing and had walked out of her room. She tiptoed down the hall and walked down the stairs, wondering what time it was. She guessed about eight in the morning, but she was lousy at telling the time.

She walked to the ballroom and for some time, she just stood and felt the presence of every book on the shelves. Then she walked to the one end of the room and up the small staircase and walked around on the balcony, looking for something to read. She pulled her coat closer and rubbed some sleep from her eyes; where to start?

,, Why has he left me?" Victoria spun around; on the opposite side of the room, on the balcony in front of her, Aleera stood, looking at Victoria with hating and sad eyes. Her hair was messy and her makeup smudged, she looked like she had been crying for days. And she looked hungry. Victoria choked something, a sound of surprise.

,, Why doesn't he love me anymore?" she whispered. Victoria steeped slightly back and cursed herself for not having her dagger. But then again, why should she walk around with a weapon in Horatiu's mansion?

Aleera bit her nail and hugged herself with her free arm, not taking her eyes of Victoria. Something of the most tragic about her was, that she still looked beautiful. Even with her creased dress and her broken look, she still looked more stunning than the tousled Victoria would ever be.

,, He has left me." she whispered, tears trailing down over her pale cheeks.

,, Because of you." Victoria licked her dry lips and stepped slightly forwards.

,, Aleera..."

,, _Do not speak to me!_" she screamed, her voice echoing slightly in the room. Victoria just begged that someone had heard her. Aleera was shaking now, pure rage burning up her insides.

,, I hate you, Victoria." she hissed.

,, And I will kill you." then two hands pushed Victoria hard in the back and she stumbled forwards, grabbing the white wooden railing before turning. Aleera now was behind her, teeth bared, not like a vampire, but like a wronged woman. Her teary eyes burned at Victoria as she stepped forward.

,, Why has he chosen you above me?" she asked, trying to comprehend how a simple shepherdess had won the heart of count Dracula, the most notorious libertine and lover of gorgeous women through centuries. Victoria didn't answer.

,, I would do anything for him." Aleera continued.

,, I _have_ done anything for him." she took another step.

,, I have worshipped him when he told me to, I never spoke against him, I always offered myself to him and he always accepted." Victoria's back hurt from leaning out over the balcony and the floor below. About a 20 feet drop, she estimated.

,, Victoria..." she whimpered, like the two of them were best friends and Victoria was to comfort her.

,,... you have killed me." she said. Then she lifted her hand and backhanded a blow across Victoria's face. The railing gave in and Victoria tumbled backwards out into nothingness and fell to the floor below, exclaiming as the air was knocked from her body as she hit the boards. The part of the railing, that had broken, was lying under Victoria, making her land in a painful angle on her back. She groaned and sat up only to be sent back onto the floor as Aleera, now in front of her, kicked her in the chest with her one, little lady shoe. The other one was missing.

,, But first, you shall try how it is to feel pain." she said, madness burning her soul.

,, And I will first kill you when you beg me." she announced as she knelt down and grabbed Victoria's right leg with her slim hands. Victoria tried to kick her away, but Aleera didn't react and suddenly, there was a nasty crack. Victoria tried to scream, but Aleera kicked her in the face and her scream was reduced to a cursing breath of pain. Aleera twisted the broken shinbone and gave it a sudden push, so the bone sliced through Victoria's skin. Victoria knew that if she screamed now, Aleera would have won, so she swallowed her howls and let the pain tears escape as she twisted and tried to tear free of Aleera's hands. Her nightgown quickly got soaked in her blood, a large scarlet patch growing like a Hunter's Moon.

,, Beg." Aleera demanded and reached for Victoria's other leg. The pain was numbing her thoughts and the tears blurred her vision, but when Victoria felt Aleera's grip loosen she pulled her leg free with a never to be seen again willpower, feeling how the bone moved and scraped against the white floorboards. She kicked Aleera with her healthy leg and as she tumbled back, Victoria forced herself up and grabbed the broken section of the railing. And when Aleera flew back towards her, just wishing to murder Victoria, last one mentioned slammed the 'stake' into the vampire's chest. Aleera stopped and looked down at her chest. Victoria looked her in the eyes and shoved her away. Aleera fell to the floor, looking scared and hurt at Victoria. As if the Aleera she had known was a part of her makeup and it was now gone. Left was only a dying woman, slowly turning to dust. Victoria shoved herself away from Aleera, who looked begging up at her, skin turning grey and falling from her bones in piles of dust.

,, I'm sorry." Victoria sobbed as Aleera reached out, not to strike, but like a child alone in the dark. She gasped for air in panic, her whole body trembling and turning grey. Not knowing why she did it, Victoria reached out her hand as well and took Aleera's, feeling it crumble between her fingers.

And then Aleera was no more, only ashes and the railing stake was lying on the floor before her. Victoria gasped and sniffed as she edged away, before the pain in her leg forced her to slow down.

She curled up and bit her teeth together, hissing in pain, her whole body cramping.

,, Vladislav..." she hissed.

,, Dracula..." she closed her eyes as the pain shooting through her leg burned through every voice of reason.

,, Anyone... please..." the blood had now drenched most of the bottom part of her dress and Victoria's vision turned as red as her gown.

*

Dracula was resting under the ice in his coffin, when a soft voice reached his mind:

_,, Vladislav..." _she was hurt. Victoria was hurt.

The ice began to melt and then, it cracked and shards of it was hurled through the room as Dracula shot up from the coffin, one word in his mind.

_Victoria...! _he flashed and the room was empty, the owner of it travelling through the darkness to find his loved one.

*

Victoria groaned in pain as she tried to move her leg and found it impossible. She forced herself to look down at it; blood, blood, bloody silk, the bone sticking out through the soft fabric, blood, the long scratch the bone had made in the floor, Aleera's ashes, the broken railing, and blood.

,, Victory." she looked up. Dracula was standing a little way away, looking so pale in the grey morning light. Victoria led out a small sniff and tried to crawl towards him, but he flashed and was kneeling by her side before she knew of it.

,, Be still, don't move." he said and turned her so she was lying on her back. He looked around at the damages.

,, Aleera... I'm sorry, she's..." he placed a hand over her mouth and shook his head.

,, Not now." he wrapped his arms around her upper body and sat with her on the floor, shushing her and stroking her cheek and hair, letting her sob and hide from the world in his embrace. Her hands grabbed his coat and she dug her nails into the fabric, never wishing to let go again.

*

Van Helsing had been up for some time, wandering around in the streets and pondering over what to do next. Returning to Rome sounded most enticing, but he couldn't allow himself to leave Victoria. Not now, not yet.

When he returned to the mansion he immediately felt that _something_ was wrong. He reached for his crossbow, hidden in the fold of his coat. And he listened...

Victoria. And she was crying.

He pulled the crossbow free and the arms of it unfolded as he paced towards the ballroom.

*

,, Let me see you." Dracula said and turned Victoria's head, so he could get a better look at the bruise Aleera's hand and one shoe had left.

,, Tsk, tsk, tsk, little Victoria, what mess you are." he said and wiped away some of her tears with his thumb before healing the bruise.

,, You called me Victoria..."

,, Did I now?" he smirked and leaned down, arms wrapped firmly around her. He hugged her to him and nuzzled her tearstained cheeks with the touch of his loose raven locks and his soft lips.

None of them noticed Van Helsing, stepping into the ballroom, crossbow ready to fire. Dracula didn't feel his presence, he was engaged elsewhere.

All Van Helsing saw was the blood and Dracula, sitting with the body of Victoria in his arms, her nightgown coloured red by her blood, his head bowed down to her throat, sitting with his back to him. He aimed with the crossbow and fired, three bolts as a start.

Victoria's eyes shot open as the sound of the bolts slicing the air reached her ears. Dracula, who had been busy with healing her sore vertebrae, stopped and his head shot up, only to let out a growling roar of pain as the bolts cut their way into his back. He let go of Victoria and got up, turning towards Van Helsing with a crooked smirked on his lips, but hate in his eyes.

,, Step away from her." Van Helsing demanded, one eye closed the other looking through the brass sight of the crossbow. Victoria forced herself to sit up, as well as she could with her leg.

,, Van Helsing..." she said in a small voice. He opened his other eye and his sight darted from Dracula to Victoria.

,, He won't hurt me." she said and looked at Dracula.

,, Here." she reached up and he bowed down and picked her up.

,, And I who thought you didn't like to be carried." he said as Victoria moved slightly in his arms and slit her right around him and gabbed the first bolt, lodged between his shoulder blades. Her hand wrapped itself around it and she tugged it free, causing Dracula to twitch slightly.

,, I do. But I can't walk right now, so I have to." meanwhile, Van Helsing walked around and looked at the signs of battle, always having one eye at Dracula. Victoria dropped the bolt and grabbed the next, piercing his back just below his ribcage. It joined its friend on the ground. The third sat in his shoulder and it took some force to tear it free, but it came after some time. Dracula let out a breath of pain.

,, What's happened?" Van Helsing asked and walked over to them.

,, Aleera came..." Victoria said. Van Helsing turned pale and looked at the piece of bone, sticking out from her nightgown.

,, Victoria..." he sounded nervous.

,, I'll be fine." she said. Dracula nodded.

,, I'll get you to your room." he said and glared at Van Helsing before flashing. Van Helsing raced after.

*

Victoria let out a small whimper; her leg hurt beyond the painful. Dracula put her down on the bed and pulled the pillows up and helped her rest her back against the headboard.

,, There." he said and wiped her tears away with his hand. He sat down by her twisted leg and took the trim of the bloody nightgown between his fingers.

,, May I?" he asked. But before she could answer, Van Helsing walked in, crossbow still in one hand.

,, Knock." Victoria said, her voice heavy with the pain in her broken bone. Van Helsing rolled his eyes.

,, Just do it." she said to Dracula, who nodded and began to roll up her dress. Van Helsing glared at Dracula's back.

,, Relax, he's undressed me once, a leg is hardly something to be upset about." Victoria gasped and regretted the words the moment she had uttered them.

,, He has _what_?!" Van Helsing said and his face turned red. Dracula chuckled, concentrating on the cut in the dress and the bone sticking out of it.

,, I passed out and he put me in bed. And since he didn't want me to sleep with my clothes on, he took my dress off. I was wearing my petticoats the whole time." Victoria said, begging Van Helsing wouldn't ask _why _she had passed out.

Dracula waved a hand slightly and the blood disappeared. Victoria looked at the white bone and the pink flesh around it and gulped. She had been hungry before, but now all traces of appetite was gone.

,, Don't look at it." Dracula said, but Victoria couldn't turn her face away. Then Van Helsing walked over and sat down beside her and turned her head in his hands.

,, This will hurt." Dracula said and firmed his grip around Victoria's bare leg.

,, Pain is when you know you're alive." Van Helsing said. He moved his hands to hers and Victoria bit her teeth together. Dracula concentrated and the bone pulled slowly back into its place. Victoria cursed and pulled free from Dracula's hands, shaking with the torture.

,, Victoria..." Van Helsing squeezed her hands and she huddled closer to him as Dracula took her ankle and pulled her leg back where he could see.

,, Victory, just a little more and then we're done." he lied, for Victoria knew and felt there still was a long way to go. She bit her lip as she felt the bone getting forced back to its place, and she cried silently as Dracula tugged at her leg to make sure the bone sat where it should. Van Helsing murmured comforting words as he wrapped an arm around her and held her shaking body still. The wound the bone had made slowly closed and immediately, Victoria's leg cramped. Dracula stroked her lower leg, from the knee down to her foot several times, the pain slowly disappearing. Victoria looked at him through teary eyes and Dracula smiled at her as he leaned down and kissed her foot.

,, You may feel slightly stiff when walking, so I would advice you to rest and only take short strolls, at a start." she nodded and wiped the tears away as Van Helsing loosened his grip around her.

,, You need anything?" he asked, Dracula sitting behind him, watching him with a cold smirk.

,, Food? Something to drink? Anything?" she shook her head, but then looked at the window.

,, A little fresh air would be nice..." she said. Van Helsing got up and pulled the curtains away and opened the window. Dracula pulled her gown back down and edged closer to her.

,, If you need me, at _anything _at all..." he said, taking them both back to her first night at the castle.

,,... just call and I will be here within seconds."

,, Actually, I'd like you to stay..." she said. Dracula smiled and leaned closer, Van Helsing standing and looking like he had just swallowed a lemon.

,, Yes?" Victoria looked up at Van Helsing.

,, It's private... I'll see you tonight." she said and after some time, Van Helsing sighed and walked to the door. Being a monster hunter, he was used to be up almost 72 hours at the time... Knowing he could sleep till dusk felt so strange.

When the door was closed Victoria looked at Dracula with dark eyes.

,, Aleera's dead..." she said. Dracula nodded and smiled shadowy.

,, I know..." he leaned closer and kissed her on the corner of her mouth.

,,... you should have called me when she came. Now you're hurt." he moved half an inch to the left and pecked her cheek softly.

,, I didn't mean to do it, I just... I needed to defend myself." Victoria tried, fighting every nerve of her mind, which told her to let out that little moan which Dracula was trying to force out of her with his lips.

,, I understand. But you must promise me, never... to... get... injured... like... that... again..." he whispered, placing a soft kiss further down her neck with every word.

,,... a... body... as... exquisite... as... yours... is... not... meant... to... be... harmed..."

_Look who's talking. _Victoria thought as memories of pure pain and fear, caused by the man sitting and nibbling at her shoulder, pushing the gown away more and more, flooded her thoughts.

She gave Dracula a gentle push and pulled the gown back over her shoulder.

,, I'd like to sleep." she said simply. He looked at her, silent. Then he nodded and got up from the bed and helped her lie down in it. Victoria rolled onto her side and pulled the sheets closer. Dracula knelt down and kissed her on the forehead, before walking to the window and pulling it slightly closer and pulling the curtain, so the morning light wouldn't be bothering her.

,, Call if you need me." he said simply and walked out of the door.

Victoria sighed and stared out into the darkness, pondering and wondering, replaying the last months of her life, over and over again. Pictures flashed before her, sometimes with sounds, sometimes only images.

_... Michael... Forest... Tears... Stranger..._

_,,... Count Vladislav..." _

_,,... Victoria..."_

_,,... Victory..." _

_**Vampire**__... Madness... Satu... Horse... Address...Van Helsing... Sea... Beautiful... Faerieland... Help... Books... __**Dracula**__... "Home"... Deserted... Dead... Pel... Shadows... Captured... His lips... _

_... Aleera... Pel... Killed... Blood... Knife... Run... Werewolf... Blood... Dying... Saved... Books... Kiss... Fight... Blood... Dying, again... Fear... Blue... Dying, once more... _

_Kiss... Kiss... Kiss... His soft lips... Kiss... Running... Van Helsing... Carl... Help... _

_Bucharest... _

_,,... I love you..." Horatiu... Gone... Vatican... _

_Alone... Dying... Back again... _

_,, ... I love you..." _

_**Vampire**__... Coat... Dresses... New room... Knives... Darkness... Tears... __**Coward**__... _

_Aleera... Alone... Crying... Killed her... Pain..._

_,,... Aleera's dead..." _

_... Smiling... _

_,,... I know..." _

_... Smiling... Smiling... Smiling... His soft lips... Smiling... Aleera... Dead... Smiling..._

Victoria got up and, shaking, stood up. She pulled off the nightgown and found her trousers and the shirt and changed into it. Then she took her coat and pulled on her boots and went downstairs. She snug out as if she was committing a crime and walked down the foggy street, hugging herself tightly. Then she sped up, sight billowing, emotions clashing in her mind and soul. And then Victoria ran, trying to escape the pain and the fear and the doubt.

And the love she felt. 


	26. Chapter 26

Twenty-six.

' For better and for worse,

In sickness and in health.'

It was evening. Horatiu woke in his bed and stretched like a cat, not waking the sleeping figure beside him, her head resting on his naked chest. It had been some time since he had slept in his bed; he had forgotten how nice it was. The girl by his side moved slightly in her sleep and Horatiu couldn't help smile and hugged her closer.

,, Camille... It's time to get up." he whispered softly. His chambermaid, Camille, sighed and opened her huge brown eyes.

,, Not yet..." she said. Horatiu let out a small laugh.

,, I'm afraid so. Listen, you sleep until you desire to wake, but I'll have to get up now." he gently loosened his embrace and sat up in the bed, only to be dragged back down when Camille tugged at his arm.

,, Not yet..." she said, her brown crimped hair falling down over her eyes.

,, Camille..." he said, trying to make the words sound anything but passionate, which was the only thing he felt when he saw her, lying and smiling at him, her beautiful eyes shining like diamonds. He failed and gave up the fight as she pressed him further down the bed. Their lips crushed against each other and Horatiu's arms wrapped themselves around Camille's waits as she twisted her body, so she was now lying on top of him. Her hands moved over his chest and around his neck and he pulled her closer and sighed as he felt her legs, wrapping around his waist. Then someone knocked on the door. With all their will power, they forced their lips apart.

,, What is it?" Horatiu asked, a slight tone to his voice. He didn't like being interrupted.

,, The lord Dracula wishes to talk with you, master." Kathenka's voice sounded.

,, He and the two others, the monk and the hunter. They say it's urgent." Camille licked her lips in the most... beguiling manner, and she leaned down and kissed his neck.

,, How urgent?" Horatiu asked and savoured Camille's lips, moving up to his.

,, They say miss Victoria has disappeared." Camille stopped and looked at Horatiu, who pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow. Then he sighed.

,, I'll be down in a few minutes." he said, Camille slipping off him. He stood up and walked around his room, picking up his clothes where they had been thrown.

,, Where's my jacket?" he asked and looked around the room whilst buttoning his shirt. Camille pointed.

,, There." in a moment of sheer passion, Horatiu had torn his jacket off and thrown it away, making it land on top of a bookshelf, beside a bust of Socrates. He sighed and snapped his fingers; the jacket disappeared and reappeared around Horatiu's body, buttoning itself. He sat down on a chair and pulled on his boots.

,, She's not hurt, is she?" Camille asked and pulled the blankets closer around her. She and Victoria had never talked, but Camille had liked the idea of her staying here; then she wasn't the only human girl in love with a vampire.

,, She doesn't strike me as a person who could be hurt easily." Horatiu said and put his pocket watch back into its pocket.

,, I'll be back soon." he said and Camille nodded sadly as he walked out the door and into the hall.

Vladislav, Carl and Van Helsing were to be found in the drawing room, two last mentioned talking in loud voices; Vladislav was silent, standing and watching the evening street through the window.

,, So, I hear miss Victoria has gone missing?" he said.

,, We woke up and she was gone. And her bed was cold, so she must have been for some time." Van Helsing said. Horatiu sat down in his chair and looked around on the three other persons in the room.

,, Any reason why she should have left?" he asked.

,, Well, _someone's _little minx showed up and decided to rearrange Victoria's shinbone. Maybe it scared her away." Van Helsing said.

,, Aleera's dead. Victoria's not afraid of dead persons." said Dracula, not turning from the window.

,, No, she spends quite some time with you." Horatiu sighed and rubbed his temples; Victoria _had _to get back in a hurry. She was the only one who could keep the two of them off each other.

_Camille... _his mind whimpered.

,, And your bride is dead?" it should have surprised him, knowing a vampire had broken into his mansion, but it didn't; last night and most of the day, he had been with Camille. Angry villagers could have broken down his door and burned down his home, and he wouldn't have noticed. Vladislav nodded solemnly.

,, Not that I mourn her, but I fear Victoria might do." he said mysteriously.

,,The question right now is, should we go look for her or should we wait and see if she comes back?" Carl said.

,, How about we do both?" Horatiu asked and leaned forward in the chair.

,, Some of us go out and search for her, one stays here and cares for her is she gets back." now, Dracula turned.

,, Bucharest is a expansive city; we should get going."

,, Victoria's still hurt, she can't have run too far away." Van Helsing said.

,, She is capable of bearing immense pain and still carry on. She could be anywhere." Van Helsing's eyes narrowed.

,, How do you know that?" Dracula thought of Victoria, forcing herself to her feet in the ballroom of his castle, bleeding and hurting. Crying and laughing at him.

,, Because she have been able to stand your company, Gabriel, without complaining." Horatiu's skull creaked. He felt a headache creeping up on him.

,, Well, who stays and who goes?" he asked.

,, I'll stay." Carl said.

,, Yes, that would be best..." said Van Helsing.

,,... No offense Carl, of course. But if I stay and she comes back, it will end in a fight. If Dracula waits here, it ends in..." Dracula smirked.

,, Go on." his eyes twinkled.

,, Say it." Van Helsing glared.

,, And if Horatiu stays here... Well..."

,, I must admit, miss Victoria seems like very interesting company, but I too feels she would be happier in the hands of a friend.

Besides, two vampires looking for her in the streets is better." he got up and looked out of the window.

,, We should be going."

***

Victoria had been walking around Bucharest most of the day, sitting by the river and looking out over the water, feeling hunger gnaw in her stomach now and again.

Now, around ten in the evening, she rounded a corner and saw Horatiu's mansion, light in some of the windows, standing and looking like an island in a stormy sea. She sighed and rubbed her eyes; it would be hard talking to Dracula, but she had made her mind...

Right...?

She walked in and took her coat off and wondered if Dracula was resting, when Carl walked up behind her.

,, Victoria! Where have you been? Everybody's looking for you and...!"

,, Carl..." she said silently.

,, I'm hungry. I haven't had anything to eat since last night's breakfast... Can't this wait?" Carl was nervous; he had never seen Victoria so sad, her eyes overflowing with the silent torture of loneliness and love.

,, Yes... Of course. Horatiu's servants thought this might happen, there's food in the dining room." they walked there and Victoria ate the cold food, telling Carl why she had run and begging him to keep Van Helsing unknowing until she had talked to Dracula. She sipped the wine and rubbed some tears from her eyes.

,, Victoria, are you sure?" Carl asked when she had finished. Victoria shook her head and felt more tears piling up in her heart.

,, No...!" she whimpered, lip wobbling so she had to bite it, her cheeks shining with tears.

,, But it's the only right thing I can do..." her eyes met Carl's and he wrung mentally when Victoria forced herself to smile, looking so tragic it hurt.

,, Besides

I hold it true, whate'er befall; 

I feel it, when I sorrow most; 

'Tis better to have loved and lost 

Than never to have loved at all..."

she quoted the Tennyson with a mask of pain so befitting, that she should have done it at a funeral. Carl opened his mouth and wanted to say something, to comfort Victoria and tell her she was the bravest person he had ever met, even braver than Van Helsing, but he didn't. He just sat with his mouth slightly open, looking stupidly at the girl in front of him. Victoria sniffed and took the white napkin, still smiling slightly.

,, God, I'm such a silly girl...! Here I am, crying my eyes out, and I haven't even talked to him yet." she said in a conversational voice and wiped her tears away.

,, Do you know when they'll be back?" Carl shook his head as Victoria stood up.

,, I'm going to my room... I think I'll call him and then we can talk without the others around. Sounds like a good idea, right?" Carl could do nothing but nod. Victoria smiled at him one last time and walked out of the door and up the stairs to her room. Carl sat alone in the dining room and sighed: Victoria was the only person he had ever met, who walked into her breaking heart with her head held high.

*

Van Helsing looked down the narrow alley and sighed; Victoria could, truly, be anywhere.

,, No sign of her yet?" Horatiu asked and stepped out of the shadows. They had agreed to meet in the alley when the sun was about to rise and the night turned to grey darkness and compare their fruitless results. Van Helsing shook his head.

,, I picked up her scent by the river, but I lost it after some time..." he said, a knot twisting in his guts. When people got lost near water, they were usually found some time later, the water filling their lungs forevermore.

,, You?" but before Horatiu could answer, the mighty beating of heavy, leathery wings beat through the alley and Dracula appeared, wings still retreating and eyes turning back to blue.

,, Victory is quite the little fox..." he announced, not wanting to admit he hadn't been able to find his precious love. He had found her trails many times, but lost them again. Victoria had, in spite of her aching leg, been able to hide her tracks.

,, Now you're being optimistic, old friend." Horatiu said as he looked at the graying horizon.

,, A fox would be quite easier to find." but Dracula wasn't listening. Or, at least, he wasn't listening to Horatiu. His icy eyes darted slightly and he listened to something only he could hear. Then he flashed and left Van Helsing and Horatiu in the cold alley.

,, Ah, the problem would seem to have solved itself." Horatiu said. Van Helsing's brows curled.

,, Victoria's called him?" he asked. Horatiu nodded and began walking.

,, It would seem so."

*

Victoria walked around in her room, heart beating faster only to slow down only to speed up again. On the bed stood another cardboard box, delivered from the tailor's, filled with silken shirts and strong cotton trousers. Clothes she would never be able to wear.

,, Victory, next time you decide to take a stroll, leave a note." she turned and saw Dracula, leaning against one of the posts of the bed, smirking and her with his arms crossed. His expression changed though, when he saw Victoria's salty cheeks and shining eyes.

,, You are crying." he said and walked towards her, reaching out to hold her. Victoria backend away.

,, Please... Please don't touch me." she said for she knew, that if Dracula got a chance to touch her, she would never get the things said. Dracula stopped and lowered his arm. He listened to her heart and grew cold.

,, What?" he asked, voice sounding like he had read her mind and already knew the answer.

,, How long had Aleera been your bride?" Victoria asked. Dracula groaned mentally.

,, Her, Mariska and Verona I met whilst I was... alive. After my death, I decided to renew my old flirtations."

,, So, for about 400 years...?" he nodded.

,, And how is your leg?" Victoria shook her head, but when she took some steps towards the window, Dracula noticed a slight limp. He looked at her, wondering if he should offer some help, as she walked to the chair and sat down.

,, Do you love me?" she asked, looking like she was on the edge of crying again. Dracula felt cold. Some months ago, he would have laughed at her; her words were so silly. Now, his insides felt clammy.

,, Of course...! Victory, I have never loved anyone as much as you...!" he walked to her and took her hand and knelt down, his cold fingers interlocking with Victoria's shaking.

,, Please don't..." she said, not looking at him. Dracula lifted her hand and kissed it, eyes not moving from Victoria's face. She didn't react, so he tried again, making his lips stay on her hand a little longer this time. All Victoria did was blink some tears free, not turning her head. Another kiss, slightly further up her arm; no reaction. Then he moved his hands and grabbed Victoria's shoulders.

Not mean or hurting, he tugged her out of the chair and she fell to her knees on the floor in front of him.

,, Victoria, what is it?" he asked, wanting more than ever for her to glance at him. Slowly, she began to talk, not looking at him once:

,, Aleera was your bride: you loved her. You had known her for over 400 years...!

You met me, not six months ago and already utter your love to me..." his grip tightened around her shoulders.

,, So... I don't think you love me... Actually, I have begun to doubt if you can love anyone or ever have... and I think that it would be best for me to leave..." Dracula couldn't believe the words he was hearing.

,, I will go back to Rome with Van Helsing and Carl..." he stopped her by shaking her body once, snapping her out of her talk.

,, And do what? Become a nun?" he had said it as a slight joke, but the silence afterwards only confirmed the sincere part of the words.

,, Victoria, how can you even doubt my love to you?" he asked lowly, clutching her shoulders tightly.

,, It is actually quite easy; you have lived for years, you have met the most beautiful women in the world. Aleera was one of them... And you didn't even pretend to mourn her death, so how could you ever love anyone as plain as me?"

,, Plainness has nothing to do with it...!" his nails dug into her shoulders, cutting through the fabric of her shirt in a swift movement. He had no intentions to hurt her, but he needed to hold her tight. If not, he feared that she might run.

,, I hadn't loved Aleera for some time, but you...! Victoria," she turned her gaze and turned Dracula's vision grey. He moved his hands from her shoulders and tore his coat open, buttons getting torn loose and falling to the floor. He grabbed his vest and tore it open too, his shirt following in the same _ritzjh. _He pulled the fabric away and let Victoria look at his perfect upper body; still as white as marble, with the promise of immense strength without too outlined muscularity. Down the middle of his chest, a thick red line slithered, burnt by the knives and the acid in the holy water. It looked grim and painful.

,, is this something I would do, were I in doubt of my feelings for you?" Dracula asked and took Victoria's head and looked her in the eyes. She was crying without a sound, biting her lip and trying to hide her pain away.

,, You don't love me... " she started, but Dracula stopped her talking when he wrenched her face closer to his.

,, So I had Horatiu cut out threads of my soul for fun?!" he hissed. Victoria's slim hands moved up and took Dracula's, trying to ease the pressure he was forcing on her burning cheeks.

,, You died some time ago... You're confused... And you have confused your feelings for me with love..."

,, Is it a sin for you to be happy?" Dracula asked.

,, Why is it so hard for you to believe that I love you?"

,, Well, at some point I fear that you might love me like you loved Aleera!" Victoria said. She remembered how unbelievably sad it had been to look at Aleera, to see the stark torture in her eyes. A woman Dracula once had loved.

,, I love you more than her...! By thousands!" Victoria looked at him and forced herself to stop her crying.

,, You say that today, but what will you say in a few months?" Dracula's jaw dropped slightly in disbelief. Then he got an idea.

,, You have stated that I do not love you, even though I do..." he said in his soft voice, timeworn accent burying Victoria in her private world.

,,... But we haven't even discussed if you love me." he finished. Maybe Victoria had decided that she didn't love him anymore, but the look on her face proved that wrong. Dracula smiled in slight jubilation and pulled Victoria closer, shutting her up in the best way he knew. The first seconds she tried to fight back, but then she gave up and kissed him back, pulling herself closer to him and begging for her to die now, so she could die happy. Dracula twisted her body down to the floor and held her closer as her fingers moved up to his face and stroked his neck in soft movements. Subconsciously, her one leg moved and wrapped itself around Dracula's left one, wishing to keep him close forever. After some time, Dracula pulled back, leaving Victoria's lips burning and wanting more.

,, Now I need you to stop to think up all those witless thoughts..." he whispered, almost drooling from the sight of Victoria lying on the floor, her leg still holding him close to her. He didn't mind.

,, That was a dirty trick." she said lowly, her tears drying and her heartbeat softening. Dracula smirked and leaned down.

,, Well, I _am _a vampire." he said. Victoria looked the count Dracula in the eyes; how could she ever have doubted him? And if he stopped loving her, then so be it.

_'Tis better to have loved and lost _

_Than never to have loved at all. _

,, Kiss me." she said, not ordering nor begging. Dracula smiled slightly wider and did as she said. His arms slid around her back and he held her tighter and Victoria's hands moved over his bare chest, her warm fingers soothing the cold he felt. Victoria suppressed the moan for some time, but then thought is foolish and let out the soft sough. Dracula grinned foolishly into her kiss and luxuriated in her soft hands, stroking his hair and tugging playfully at the clip in his ponytail. Victoria thought she could never stop smiling.

Then footsteps sounded outside the door and Van Helsing paced in, Victoria pulling away from Dracula seconds too late.

,, Gabriel." Dracula greeted, leering smile on his face, shirt torn open and locks of raven hair falling down over his face. Van Helsing glared at the two persons, his eyes locking on Victoria.

,, Don't..." she said and twisted herself free from Dracula and sat up on her knees.

,, I just wanted to check in on you." he said dryly. He scowled at Dracula, who was buttoning his shirt and grinning back, buttons around him floating into the air and stitching themselves back on.

,, To see if you were fine."

,, I am." Victoria said and got up and walked to him, Van Helsing looking at her limp with a concerned look.

,, Your leg..."

,, It's nothing." she said and smiled.

,, I'm sorry if I worried you... I just needed to think..." Dracula walked up beside her, leering at Van Helsing and placed a hand around her waist.

,, So, no need for you to stay here now, Gabriel." he hissed. Victoria pulled away from his touch and cursed as she twisted her foot and the pain in her leg grew deeper.

,, Would you stop...?!" she mumbled and walked for the door.

,, Victory, your leg is not well. You should sit." Dracula said and followed her out of the room.

,, I will." she said and looked at the stairs before her, knowing it would take some time with her leg. Nonetheless, she lifted her right foot and took a step down, biting her tongue from the pain in her leg. Then she took another step and felt how her leg shook and caved under her and she fell forwards, waiting for her chin to connect with the steps. Instead, she fell into the arms of Dracula, who now was in front of her.

,, Victory, will you ever listen?" he asked and helped her to stand, Victoria blushing and feeling weak.

,, I can walk perfectly fine." she said.

,, Yes, it's the keeping of the balance that's the tricky part." Van Helsing said as he walked down the steps. Victoria smiled at him, like a sister might do and took another step, leaning on Dracula as she did so. Well down on the last step, Victoria looked at Dracula.

,, Do you know if Horatiu's still up?"

,, Later. First, your leg."

,, No, him first."

,, Did I hear my name pronounced by the lovely miss Victoria?" Horatiu stood by the doors to the ballroom and grinned at the three persons. Victoria walked towards him, limp growing exceedingly more painful with each step, until she stood in front of him.

,, I would like to apologize for this, Horatiu." she said.

,, And I am sorry that you had to search the streets for me; I know it sounds foolish now, but I am grateful and I am truly sorry." she bowed her head and reached out her hand in apology.

,, Nonsense!" Horatiu snorted.

,, The fresh air was quite nice and it's been some time since I have had a good stroll through the city." he took her hand and squeezed it sincerely.

,, And knowing that you are safe just makes it complete." Victoria wondered just how inappropriate it would be to hug Horatiu, so she settled for squeezing his hand back and smiling at him.

,, And I'm sorry about the mess in your ballroom." he shook his head and shushed her.

,, Nothing to be sorry about. Now, you should sit down and get Vladislav to take a look at your leg. It must be painful." Victoria wanted agree with him, but she didn't.

,, Now, I will retire." he said and pinched her hand one last time before he let go. He walked through the door and left his three guests in the hall. Dracula walked up to her and took her arm.

,, Now, your leg." he said. He flashed and they were in her room. Victoria sat down on the bed and Dracula knelt down before her, stroking and massaging her sore bone with a smooth hand. The pain eased and Victoria sighed of relief when it disappeared. The Dracula got up and sat down beside her, pulling her shirt away from her shoulder and healing the cuts his nails had made.

,, I am still quite surprised by your thoughts of my love to you." he said as he healed her other shoulder. Victoria shrugged.

,, Being loved is a new thing for me, I can't help being suspicious." she said. Dracula smiled at her slight joke in the sentence and leaned closer to her.

,, Well, let us see what we can do about that." his first kiss was soft and subtle; the next was more forceful as he dug his hands into her hair and tilted her back into the bed. Victoria sighed and giggled and ran her hands over his chest. When she touched the cut, however, Dracula twitched and pulled away.

,, I'm sorry." she said, sitting up again. He shook his head.

,, In a couple of days..." he said, not completing the sentence. He didn't have to.

,, We should sleep." she said. Dracula nodded.

,, True, you must be exhausted." she gave a small nod and he kissed her one last time before leaving. Victoria changed into her nightgown and took one of her books and snug under the sheets and read the pages in a sweetened silence. Victoria was, without hesitation, in love.


	27. Chapter 27

Twenty-seven.

Masquerade.

The next evening, Victoria got up and dressed herself in her red gown and walked downstairs, finding Carl alone in the dining room, reading through a book he had borrowed by Horatiu.

,, Where is everybody?" Victoria asked and sat down, eating the food slowly, making it last.

,, Down in the cellar." Carl said. Victoria felt cold; she somehow felt she needed to be with Dracula.

,, They told me to tell you that you needn't worry and Dracula would like to talk to you afterwards." Carl went on, Victoria not really listening. She sipped the tea, starring blankly out into the air. Then she put down the cup and looked at Carl.

,, What's the book about?" she asked, trying to take her mind off Dracula.

,, _A study of exploding minerals and plants in European nature_." he said. Victoria scratched her hair.

,, I don't know what I find most worrying; that Horatiu owns it, or that he has lent it to you." then she licked her lips.

,, Did you tell Van Helsing yesterday?" she looked Carl deeply in the eyes.

,, No." he said. Victoria nodded and gave a soft smile.

,, Thank you. And now you don't need to..." Carl looked sadly at her.

,,... we talked and sorted it out. I'm staying."

,, You do? Victoria, that's..." but Carl stopped, as it was obvious Victoria wasn't listening. She sighed and got up from her seat.

,, I'm going down the cellar." she announced. Carl bent the corner of the page he had reached and closed the book, standing up and taking the tome with him.

,, Victoria, are you sure? There's no need to..."

,, I want to." she said and her eyes were filled with sincerity. Carl nodded and they walked from the room, Victoria knowing what sight would meet her in the cellar and preparing herself for it. However, when she grabbed the knob of the door to the basement, it wouldn't move. Victoria tried a couple of times, but it was most defiantly locked.

,, Why has he locked it?" Victoria said, her hands wrenching the handle in a vain attempt to try and open it. But then she almost fell forwards as the door opened and she stumbled into the darkness, inches from falling down the steps.

,, Victoria...!" Carl flew after her, almost bumping in to her.

,, I'm fine..." she looked meanly at the door.

,, But when I get Horatiu, we need to talk...!" either he had locked the door because he didn't want Victoria to be around, or Dracula had ordered it to be locked. They walked down into the darkness which smelled sweetly of wine, and Victoria led the way to the torch lit room where Dracula, Horatiu and Van Helsing were. The air was thick with the reek of very old blood and Victoria could feel her guts turning. She walked down the steps; Dracula was standing chained between the pillars like last time, shirt opened at the thick cut healing slowly, looking like he was concealing all the pain he had ever known, Horatiu was rolling his sleeves back down and Van Helsing was pulling on his coat. Thank God; they were done.

When she entered, Dracula licked the black blood from his lips and smiled at her.

,, Victory, paying sick calls, I see. How nice of you." she tried to smile back, but it became more of a twitch. She walked up to him and stroked his cold cheek with her hand, leaning forward and resting her forehead against his.

,, I wish you wouldn't have to do this..." she muttered. Dracula leaned into her touch and smiled with his eyes closed.

,, You shouldn't worry anymore about it. I'm quite glad to move back to my old life." he turned his head and kissed her palm.

,, I'd die for you." he whispered. Victoria's eyes glowed at him and she smiled softly. She wanted to answer him, to say that she would die for him too, and to kiss him, but Van Helsing cut her off.

,, Comes from a person who can't die... I say, that's some big words." Victoria turned and looked daggers at him, Van Helsing looking back and ignoring her burning eyes. Then Horatiu walked up to the chained Dracula.

,, Miss Victoria, you might want to step back." he said and lifted a hand to the one metal cuff, which snapped open. Dracula groaned and stumbled to the other pillar, almost falling to the floor, if it hadn't been for Victoria, who rushed to him and let him lean on her as Horatiu opened the other cuff. They knelt down on the damp floor, Victoria helping Dracula to lie down and rest his upper body in her embrace, and Dracula smiled painfully at her.

,, A sudden switch of roles, Victory." he said, guying and resting his head in her cradling arm.

,, Yes, usually you're not _this _weak." Van Helsing grumped.

,, Gabriel..." Dracula whispered and turned in Victoria's arms, grinning up at the monster hunter.

,, I can still give you back the things you desire..." he said coldly, Horatiu walking around them and picking up threads of Dracula's soul with the knives.

,,... Your memories, you life... Anything..." he licked his teeth.

,, Well, _almost_ anything." his voice taunted, both of them thinking of the same woman. Van Helsing bit his teeth and clenched his fists.

,, Victoria, I know that you will probably hate me for this, so I would like to apologize now." he said, walking slowly towards the two persons on the floor.

,, For what?" Victoria asked, growing nervous.

,, For this." Van Helsing said and kicked the count Dracula in the stomach, causing the vampire to groan in pain and cramp slightly, his scar burning madly.

,, Van Helsing...!" Victoria shouted, but Van Helsing just turned and walked out of the room. Carl, who had been standing by the steps followed after a few seconds. Victoria looked down at Dracula, who still smiled through the pain.

,, Are you..." she looked at the wound and smelled the blood around them.

,,... How are you?" she finished after some time, feeling utterly stupid.

,, Never been better." Dracula groaned. He twisted back into her embrace and leaned further down it, making himself comfortable. Victoria ran a hand down over his chest and began buttoning his shirt with one hand, fumbling with the buttons. He smirked, as always.

,, Well, it is certainly centuries sine a woman has _dressed _me." she sighed and shook her head at him. Then Horatiu knelt down and scraped up the remains of the cut out atman.

,, What is that?" Victoria asked Dracula as Horatiu burned the threads in the nearest torch.

,, That, sweetest Victory, is as I told you, my soul." she looked down at him.

,, Not the whole of it, of course. Only the part preponderantly in the clutches of my gift. Nearest the heart." he smiled stoically.

,, If you can call it that anymore." she smiled back.

,, Carl said you wanted to talk with me." she said and finished the last button and moved her hand to his cheek, stroking it and his hair in silence.

,, Yes..." he said, his voice dry and tired.

,,... I was wondering, my lady, if you would do me the honor and accompany me to a masquerade ball this Hallows Eve?"

,, A ball?" Victoria was baffled. She couldn't even courtesy without almost falling over, dancing she wouldn't even think off...!

,, But... I can't dance." she said. He smiled.

,, And so?"

,, I haven't got a dress." he moved his one hand to hers, frozen in astonishment on his cheek, and took it in his and let it rest on the left side of his chest.

,, We will get you one. And a mask."

,, But I can't dance...!" she tried again. Dracula chuckled.

,, So?" he said, fingers stroking the back of her hand.

,, I. Can't. Dance...!" she said, but couldn't help giggle at the time.

,, Then we won't. We shall stand by the wall and laugh at the other dancers."

,, Going to a ball and not taking part in it... We might as well not go at all." she smiled. Dracula licked his lips.

,, That sounds _very _intriguing." she gave him a mild push.

,, Yes, back here with Van Helsing guarding my every move." his smirk faded.

,, Maybe not so intriguing, now that I have reconsidered it." she leaned closer down.

,, Oh, that is such a surprise...!" she whispered and kissed him. Her hair fell down over their faces like a curtain at the stage and Dracula moved one hand up her back, the only caress he could manifest in his current position. Then Horatiu, who had been standing in a corner and flickering around his books, walked over to the kissing couple.

,, Miss Victoria, not that I doubt Vladislav's tonsillae must be a most interesting line of study..." Victoria pulled back, blushing heavily.

,,... But I'm afraid that Vladislav needs rest."

,, He can be a bother at times, but he's still a good ally." Dracula smiled and lifted Victoria's hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

,, Tomorrow, Victory." he said.

,, Tomorrow." he repeated. And then he was gone, back in his ice coffin in his cold room, and Victoria sat alone on the humid stones of the cellar, her knees wet with the damp and her dress dirtied by grime. Horatiu helped her to stand.

,, I think you need a cup of good, strong tea, miss Victoria. Most likely with a biscotti or two to go with it." he said and they walked for the steps to the wine cellar.

,, Please..." Victoria said.

,, Victoria. No miss, no title I do not own, just Victoria." he smiled in the half-light.

,, Victoria... I'll give it a try."

,, Thank you."

*

,, Where's Van Helsing?" Victoria asked Carl, who was sitting in the dining room once more, buried deeply in exploding plants of the Italian countryside. He looked up from the pages.

,, In his room, why?" Victoria turned back out of the room.

,, Because I need to talk with him." she said lowly and walked up the stairs. She paced to Van Helsing's door and walked in without knocking, if he could with her she could with him. He was sitting at the desk of his room, his weapons lying neatly before him, one of his guns lying with all its bits and parts in a line next to it. The great Van Helsing was cleaning his weapons.

,, Victoria." he greeted and got up from the chair. His coat and hat were lying disregarded on his perfectly made bed. A bed he hadn't been using.

,, Don't you sleep?" Victoria asked, looking at the bed. Van Helsing didn't answer.

,, So, no doubt you're here about Dracula." he said.

,, But before you start talking, I'd like to say that I won't regret what I did for a single second." they now stood in front of each other, Victoria fighting the feeling of being small.

,, Actually, I just came to tell you that we're going to a masquerade on Hallows Eve, so since you insist on following me everywhere, I'd advise you to get a mask."

,, A masquerade? Original..."

,, About the kick, I'd prefer if the two of you could keep your fighting verbal...! Before one of you get hurt." Van Helsing said nothing.

,, What, no scolding?" he finally said, crossing his arms.

,, What's there to scold about? You fight, I can't change that..." she took a deep breath.

,, But hurting him isn't going to help."

,, What do you know?"

,, Anna's dead." she said, not thinking before talking.

,, And she wouldn't have liked to see you like this..." there was silence for a very long time, Victoria not knowing if it had been wise to mention Anna. Van Helsing looked mad; Carl had been talking.

,, Don't you dare to talk like you knew her." Van Helsing hissed, his words so icy and full of pain that it hurt Victoria.

,, I don't, but no woman would have liked to see the man she loved like this..."

,, Like what?" he said.

,, Trying to pretend everything is fine, when he actually misses a person to talk to, to open up to."

,, Look who's playing the wise one." he took another step towards her and Victoria had to admit that she was _scared _of Van Helsing. Right then and there, she was scared.

,, And going around blaming him for her death isn't going to help."

,, He was responsible for it." Van Helsing growled.

,, Which one of you was it who turned into the werewolf?" Victoria asked, and realized the same second, that she had committed a very severe mistake.

,, Go." Van Helsing ordered, looking and sound like he was restraining a part of himself. That part that told him to hurt Victoria.

,, Listen, you killed her and you miss her. You miss a person who doesn't see you as 'Van Helsing, the murderer'. You miss someone to hold and be with, why do you think it weak?" Victoria said, if you are going to do it wrong, then do it right.

,, You were the one who missed someone to love you so badly that you chose a man who doesn't feel." Van Helsing fired back.

,, He feels.

And it's better than just sitting around pretending that I'm fine, when I know I have every chance possible to be loved, I'm just too scared to take it." Van Helsing hit her across her face, the blow so hard that she fell to the floor. Then, Van Helsing wished he could be torn in two; one person to stand and glare down at Victoria, and one to help her up and apologize for hurting her. Victoria ran the back of her hand across where Van Helsing's hand had connected, and looked at the blood; her nose was bleeding. She looked up at Van Helsing, eyes shining.

,, To you, vampires are just evil creatures, hollow things you can slaughter without caring.

But, at least, they are not afraid to admit that they care." she felt the blood run down over her face and tried to wipe it away. She sat and wondered why she didn't cry, it had really hurt; but, in the last time she had felt so much dark pain, that a simple slap should be nothing. But, she thought as her eyes began to burn, it really hurt when the person hurting you was a friend.

Van Helsing was shocked; Victoria had told him that vampires were better at knowing their own limits that he did. And he could feel in some point, that she was right.

,, I'm sorry." he finally managed to murmur and knelt down before Victoria.

,, I shouldn't have hurt you." he took her head and lifted it where he could see.

,, It's not so bad, just relax and it'll stop within minutes." her hands moved up and took his.

,, Van Helsing..." she said softly and he let go of her face, Victoria holding his hands gingerly but tight.

,,... No matter what you think, you're never alone. And even though someone consider you a murderer, I know that just as many consider you their protector."

,, When I kill... someone, I always try to remember them for their human lives. For the person they once were... Lately, I have just thought them monsters and nothing but that." Victoria was silent, listening and hold Van Helsing's hands in hers.

,, Victoria, I think you've just helped me remember something." he said and gave her hands a squeeze.

,, How's your nose?" Victoria sniffed.

,, Fine."

,, Good. I wasn't planning... you know..."

,, I know." she smiled.

,, But I owe you one." she finished and they stood up. Van Helsing turned slightly pale.

,, Want to go downstairs?" he shrugged.

,, Why not?" they walked out of the room and down the stairs, Victoria wiping the leftover blood from her face with the satin sleeve of her dress.

,, So, where's Dracula now?" Van Helsing asked.

,, He's resting." Victoria replied.

,, Victoria, I didn't mean to... And I hope you understand that I won't do it again..." Van Helsing never hurt innocent beings. And since Anna, he had always feared that one little part of himself. The part the werewolf had unleashed, the little corner of his mind, which told him to strike out when he was angry. To break something. Someone. When they had been in the forest and Victoria had shoved the crossbow away from Dracula, Van Helsing had wanted to break her arm.

,, To get angry isn't something to be ashamed of." Victoria said.

,, It just shows that you're a human. But controlling your anger is admirable, I must say." she jumped down the last step and they walked into the dining room, where Carl and Horatiu sat in a lively discussion.

,,... but in the right hands, even ordinary spices can create an explosion." Horatiu said.

,, Quite true, but I find the use of chemicals more efficient."

,, Yes, but nothing does really beat a good old explosion whatsoever. I just prefer the more romantic flames, created entirely from nature." Van Helsing and Victoria walked in; Carl and Horatiu were sitting with the opened book between them, and a young girl with dark curls for hair and a pale blue lace dress. On the table stood a cup of steaming tea and a plate with biscotti's. Victoria decided she like Horatiu very much.

,, Miss Vic... Victoria, I would like you to meet Camille Zoé, a very dear friend of mine." Horatiu said as he got up along with Camille. Victoria didn't need to guess what kind of friend Camille was. They shook hands and Camille curtseyed, and they sat down at the table again. Very quickly, Carl and Horatiu began talking about explosives again, Van Helsing nodding along and commenting when asked. Camille began to yawn dramatically and Victoria's eyes rolled as she sipped her tea. Horatiu noticed the girls out of the corner of his eye.

,, I'm afraid we are boring the ladies." he said. Camille shook her head.

,, Oh no, this is most interesting...! I was just wondering if miss Victoria would like to see the winter garden?"

,, Yes, I would love that...!" Victoria said desperately, burning to get out of the room where time stood still. The girls got up in a hurry and walked out of the door, choking their laughs. Well outside, Victoria leaned against the wall and Camille covered her face with her hands.

,, Thank goodness...! I never knew rocks could be _that _boring...!" Victoria said and Camille giggled.

,, Well, should I show you the winter garden, miss? Just so they won't suspect we left..."

,,... On purpose." Victoria nodded.

,, And you don't have to call me miss. Victoria's is enough." Camille smiled and led the way through the corridors of the mansion, and soon they were in the marble smooth winter garden. A glass dome above their heads bathed the dark green leaves around them in lights from the city. Lanterns had been placed about in the trees, to provide with additional light. In the middle of the round room was a marble fountain, with a statue of a kneeling angel in the middle. The angel was a masterpiece, with every little detail outlined to perfection and its huge wings were opened in a welcoming and protecting manner to the newcomers. One of its hands was just above the surface of the water, looking like it was going to stroke it. Or maybe the fish, which swam around in it, long white things that moved silently. Victoria looked around in awe.

,, Amazing...!" she said. Camille smiled and walked deeper into the magical world. She knelt down like the angel by a flowerbed and reached out and touched a small blue flower, the exact colour of her dress.

,, Horatiu had these planted for me... They're my favorites..." Victoria knelt down beside Camille and looked at the bed.

,, Cornflowers." she stated. Camille nodded lovingly.

,, You love Horatiu, I can tell..." Victoria said and smiled as Camille blushed. Her herself hadn't been so good at telling her own feelings, but Camille was head over heels.

,, Yes... And you do love count Dracula." she said and they stood up and walked to a bench, where they took seat.

,, But somehow, I know I wouldn't have it any other way." Camille said.

,, Oh, we're a fine pair...! Had they known in my village that I was in love with a vampire, I'd be burned alive." Victoria sighed. Camille nodded.

,, If they'd ever be able to touch you." they both nodded solemnly and smiled, knowing they would never allow their loved ones to be hurt, and they would never allow the same for them.

,, How did you meet?" Victoria asked.

,, Oh, when I was younger I needed money to help support my family. Horatiu was in need of a new servant, he paid good and treated me well, so I took the employment. I was... fifteen I think, at the time.

And then... On my seventeenth birthday, I set to leave. My family didn't need me to work anymore, but..." she looked out into the air, remembering the words he had said to her that day. And the kiss they had shared, not a week later.

,,... he begged me not to leave. And I couldn't bear leaving him."

,, You knew he was a vampire?"

,, Yes, he told me the first week of my employment. I never feared him, though. I saw Horatiu, not a vampire. I still do." she crossed her legs.

,, And you? Meeting the count Dracula must have been quite something."

,, Oh, it was. Not a faeries tale, but all is well that ends well." Victoria said, leaving it at the Shakespeare.

*

,, Wonder where they went..." Van Helsing looked at the clock in the hall; it was about two in the morning.

,, The winter garden would be the first place to look, I think." Horatiu walked down the halls, smelling Camille's perfume with ease.

The girls still sat in the winter garden, talking like old friends might do.

,, So... you are his chambermaid, but you do not work...?" Camille blushed.

,, It's a joke, actually... It's the name for me, because..." she blushed furthermore.

,,... Because his chamber is where you spend most of your time together." Victoria finished.

,, It's silly, I know..."

,, Camille, I only find it comforting, that being given a silly pet name is not only something that's happened to me...!" their voices flowed through the room, mixing it with the sound of the fountain. Horatiu smiled at the sound. When the three men stepped into the garden, their boots echoed against the marble floor and added another note to the water and the voices. Horatiu peeked around the corner of a tree and looked at the girls, sitting on the bench like friends.

,, There you are." the girls looked up and smiled.

,, Nice to see you're enjoying yourselves, but do you know what time it is?" Camille sighed and turned her eyes to the ceiling.

,, The second I'm gone he usually panics and hyperventilates. Amazing he's lasted this long...!" Horatiu pouted softly and sat down on the bench beside Camille and wrapped an arm around her.

,, It's morning; you both missed dinner." Camille shrugged and huddled closer to Horatiu.

,, So...?" Victoria wasn't even hungry. She had never spent so much time just... talking. Van Helsing and Carl walked around the corner and Victoria gave a dry giggle.

,, You can call off the search, I'm still here." she smiled teasingly and crossed her arms. Van Helsing sighed but sat down beside her. Carl walked around and looked at the different plant and mumbled things like

_,, Amazing...!" _and

_,, They still exist...?!" _Victoria shook his head at him and looked at Van Helsing.

,, This is nice." she said. He raised an eyebrow.

,, You usually never sit around me... It's just... Nice." he smiled back at her.

,, Good to know..." he lifted her arm and looked at the dark streaks of blood on her sleeve. He gave her hand a small squeeze.

,, I'm fine...!" she said softly.

,, Oh, how idyllic...! A small gathering and no one even bothered to invite me." Van Helsing very quickly got up and turned around. Dracula was leaning against one of the trees, a wineglass filled with blood in one hand. He took a sip and lifted his glass in a small toast.

,, Saluting to your good health, Gabriel." he said. Van Helsing just glared. Victoria got up and walked to where Dracula stood.

,, I don't know if I should even be asking, but how is your cut?" she said and smiled as he reached out and touched her cheek with his fingertips.

,, This isn't your cross, Victory."

,, That bad?" she smiled sadly. He smiled back and took another sip. Then he stopped and sniffed the air. He smelled the blood, but that wasn't it; he stepped closer to Victoria and sniffed her neck and hair. Then he grabbed her arm and held it up in front of them, so they both could se the blood. Victoria felt cold inside.

,, This is yours..." he said and looked at the barely noticeable traces. Victoria tried to tug her arm free but Dracula tightened his grip and she couldn't. She could feel Van Helsing's eyes burning into her back.

,, It's nothing, just a scratch." Victoria tried but Dracula wasn't listening.

,, Who did this?" he asked. Victoria didn't answer. The glass broke when Dracula dropped it to the ground, letting the blood paint the tiles red, making Horatiu and Camille turn around and Carl stop from his botanic studies.

,, Victoria.

Who. Did. This?" he hissed and tugged her closer.

,, I did." Van Helsing stepped forward and pointed his gun at Dracula.

,, Let go of her." he ordered. Dracula did and walked closer to Van Helsing, baring his fangs like an angry wolf.

,, Don't you ever dare to hurt her." he hissed and his fangs grew and eyes burned coldly.

,, You're not entitled to injure her yourself. And, unlike you, I never meant to hurt her." he said. Dracula growled and his eyes grew dark. Victoria stepped in between them.

,, I'm entitled to fight my own fights...!" she looked at Dracula.

,, It's my cross." he took her shoulders and looked her deep into the eyes.

,, No man should ever hurt you. I won't let them."

,, Well, then save your venom for the ones I can't handle on my own.

It's sweet of you that you want to protect me, but I can do that myself." Dracula was slightly confused; usually, women liked it when he cared for them. But then again; Anna had fought back and Victoria...

He looked at her, her eyes illuminating his mind more than the lanterns around them.

... Victoria was everything he had ever wished for in a bride. And she would never be one. That only made him wish to be with her even more; he loved seeing her being stubborn, fighting and... being Victoria.

,, You're starring again." Victoria said and snapped Dracula out of his thoughts. He looked at her, feeling his fangs shrink and wings retreating, then he let go of her shoulders and shook his head.

,, Count Vladislav Dragulia, merciless crushed underfoot by the most stubborn angel ever yet to be seen." he said. Victoria smiled and took his hand in hers, her fingers entwining with his and he pulled her closer.

,, If you got hurt I would never know what to do." she shook his head at him.

,, You would live on, just like you did before you had met me. The ways of the world." he wrapped his free arm around her.

,, Before you, I never lived." Victoria closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder and Dracula rested his on hers. He felt someone watching and opened his cold eyes, looking at Van Helsing who stood and looked at the couple, gun back in his belt but hand still resting on it. He smiled and hugged Victoria closer. Van Helsing looked at the two, standing like they could not imagine being apart and he suddenly felt very... alone... and, even in some point... envious?

*

The next days in the mansion passed without nothing happening, making Victoria remember the old times, when she hadn't been forced to run through the night and fight battles, inner as well as in real life. Dracula was worn down from regenerating his soul, so he slept most of the time, only getting up to feed and be with Victoria. Usually, they took long walks in the streets, not talking much and knowing they didn't need to. It was enough being together.

Carl read the very dull books and talked about very dull things with Horatiu; Van Helsing stayed in the background, not really talking.

Victoria and Camille spent their time talking and playing cards, giggling like schoolgirls when they found similarities between their loves, beside the fact they shared the title 'vampire'. It had been so long time since Victoria could feel like she was actually a part of a home.

Three awful days till the masquerade, Victoria walked around in Horatiu's ballroom, wearing a pair of black trousers and a white shirt, finding book after book worth reading.

,, Victoria?" she shocked at the sound of her name and dropped the book she had found on the shelf. She picked if up and looked down at Horatiu, who was grinning back at her.

,, Did I startle you?" he asked. Victoria shook her head.

,, Yes."

,, I apologize.

Finding anything of interest?" he asked. Victoria waved around at the books.

,, It's hard no to."

,, Well, would you mind to come down here? Just for a second?" she shrugged and put the book back.

,, I'll be right down." she walked to the stairs and her boots echoed against the steps. Well down on the ground level, Horatiu stepped up to her.

,, Is it true, and forgive me for listening in on your conversation and if I didn't even do it right and mistook what you said, that you are not that keen a dancer?"

,, I'm horrible...! Thank you for trying to make it sound more elegant that it really is, but I have been born without a sense of rhythm."

,, Good..." he held out his hand.

,,... for else, this would have been awkward." she stepped back.

,, No...! No, no, no, no, no, absolutely No!" Horatiu waved a hand and something moved in the corner. A white sheet stirred and slipped off the string quartet instruments it had been hiding, pooling to the floor and looking barely noticeable in all the white. The bows moved and placed themselves on the strings of the now standing instruments, awaiting patiently for a signal to begin.

,, Come on, you can't be that bad...!" he said and stepped closer, hand still waiting for hers.

,, Horatiu, when I dance, people usually take cover." Victoria tried but Horatiu ignored her and took her hand.

,, A waltz is fairly simple; we move in circles around the floor, pacing along with the music written for that purpose. Just follow my lead, I'll try to forget that I have two left feet." he pulled her close and placed a feather light hand on her back, not too low nor too high. Victoria couldn't help feeling alien; she still wasn't used to being so close to people. Horatiu quickly released her hand and took her other one and placed it on his shoulder.

,, And most importantly: relax." he took her hand again. Victoria had already lost.

,, Very well..." she sighed.

,,... But it's a good thing you heal son fast, for my feet are defiantly going to connect with your toes more than once!" he smiled and squeezed her hand, then straightened his back and looked at the instruments.

,, Ever heard of a Italian called Paganini?" he asked. Now, Victoria was bother again; another person she didn't know.

,, No..." she shook her head. He lightened up like a Christmas tree.

,, Then we have found our music." the music started, flowing softly through the air. Victoria had never heard that much music in the forests, beside from what the wolves sung and the wind and river murmured, and she had to say; Paganini didn't sound too bad. Then she froze as Horatiu was ready to move.

,, And... 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3." Horatiu moved gracefully around the room, making Victoria hate him more than ever. He made it seem so simple. And, even though she stepped him over the toes a couple of times, Victoria had never known how easy it was to dance a waltz. The music was beautiful and the moves were simple enough for even her to follow. Horatiu was a great dancer and a patient teacher, correcting her when she moved wrongly without making Victoria feel she was being taught anything.

,, Victoria, you are not that bad as you feared. I'm impressed...!"

,, You don't have to sound _that _surprised!" she said and laughed.

,, A couple of more times and people will think you were dancing when you were born."

,, Thank you. And I apologize for ruining your boots." the music stopped and so did the dancers, Horatiu looking down at the slightly scraped tips on his black boots.

,, They needed a polish anyway." he said and shrugged.

,,It's impossible for you to get angry, right?"

,, Pretty much." they let go of each other and stepped backwards, feeling some space was needed after the sudden closeness.

,, Camille is very lucky." Horatiu took her hand and kissed it gingerly.

,, And so is Vladislav, if I may say so."

,, You may." Dracula answered and stepped out of the shadows by the staircase. Victoria's face reddened, had he seen her dance?

,, How long have you been standing there?" she asked as he walked up to them, Horatiu letting go of Victoria and turning to the string quartet and waving his hand at them, making them lean back up against the wall and the sheet to crawl back over them, hiding the dark polished wood from the world.

,, Long enough." Dracula said and looked at Victoria in her new clothes.

,, You look beautiful..." he leaned closer and whispered the last thing in her ear, as if it was a secret.

,,... especially when dancing." Victoria blushed furthermore. Dracula sniggered and kissed her cheek, as if his cool lips could make the burning blood stop, staying inches near her skin as if it wasn't an option to pull away.

Kathenka walked in of the door of the ballroom, carrying a large box in her arms.

,, Lord Horatiu? A package has just arrived for miss Victoria..."

,, For me?" Victoria was surprised. Horatiu motioned to Kathenka to leave the box and she did so, curtseyed and quickly left; she didn't like the lord Dracula. Victoria looked at the box, not knowing what to do.

,, Open it." Dracula said, as if he had read her mind. Victoria knelt down and pulled the lid off... and stopped.

Inside it was the most exquisite gown Victoria had ever seen.

,, Oh God..." she whispered and lifted the dark green thing up for a better look; it was a beautiful ball gown, the colour of the darkest moss, with silvery threads woven in to create a shine to it. It was made of silk and...

Victoria sighed.

... taffeta. It felt so delicate under her fingers that she feared she might tear it. Then she noticed something more; in the box lay something else. Carefully, she pulled the dress completely out and took the mask in her hands. It was painted black and lined with silver and covered half of her face, with two black ribbons hanging down at each side of it. Under right eye, a white tear ran, lined with the silver and made from a small note of poetry, making it look like the bearer of the mask was crying.

,, I..." Victoria tried, but no words could express how she felt.

,, You have the gown.

You have the mask.

You have the companion and you can dance like an angel..." Victoria put the mask down and stood up, looking at Dracula as he spoke.

,,... Will you accompany me to the ball?" Victoria had to fight the urge to jump into his arms.

,, Yes." she said, feeling overwhelmed by the thought of her at a masquerade.

,, I'd be delighted to."

**All right, all right: I'M SORRY! **

**The last weeks has been my idea of Hell; we were working on our project, so I've spent the every waken moment reading and writing about Leonardo da Vinci's impact on anatomic studies in 1700-1800 (which is no so dull as it sounds.) the remaining waken moments were used for blinking and eating. I've first been able to write since Saturday.**

**And yes, I know the idea with the masquerade is a real cliché, but I'm a big sucker for masks and balls and all that:D Sorry for the length of the chapter, but I'm trying to finish the story before chapter 30:) NOTE: I think most of Paganini's waltzes were written for guitar, but they work on violins and cellos, too. **

**ANOTHER NOTE: I'M STILL SORRY! **

**R&R:) **


	28. Chapter 28

Twenty-eight.

Dancing.

_I am Victoria._

_Some time ago, I fought to keep myself alive, ate little and drank only water. Then I was captured by the greatest vampire the world will ever know, locked up in a tower and left to be forgotten. Meanwhile, two of my newest friends searched high and low in most of the forests to find me._

_And then I fell in love. I do not know what changed, but I did. And the man I fell in love with is the aforementioned vampire, count Dracula of the story books. _

_Now, I am in Bucharest and tomorrow, I am to attend a ball where many of the visitors will be vampires as well. I am to dance. And wear a beautiful gown. I know I will disappoint every idea of a fancy lady, yet I cannot wait._

Victoria was standing in front of the mirror in her room, looking at her reflection and the mirrored surroundings. She had spent most of the morning dancing around in the ballroom with Horatiu, learning that she couldn't really dance anything but a waltz. Dracula was still sleeping and she couldn't blame him. On the bed in the mirror was her gown and her mask, lying as if awaiting tomorrow with the same mix of dread and delight as her. She herself was wearing the dark blue velvet dress with the silver buttons. She had decided to wear a dress so she could try to feel like it was to dance in one. The fabric rustled every time she moved. She had left her boots on the floor as well, after dancing around in them for so long, it felt nice being free of them.

,, Oh, look at my beautiful little angel..." Dracula said and placed a hand on Victoria's hip, gently moving it up as he walked closer to her. Victoria smiled and didn't even bother to tell him that she wasn't 'his'. She wouldn't now, anyway.

,,... standing and brooding over something which I am sure..." he took the last step and now stood completely up against her and wrapped his other arm around her, hugging her to him in a loving way, Victoria leaning back against him and placing her hands on his.

,,... will turn out to be ever so unimportant." he kissed the base of her neck and moved up in her hair where he placed kiss after kiss on her sensitive skin.

,, I was thinking about me, actually." she said and leaned in to his lips.

,, Then I take back what I said." Dracula whispered in her hair and trailed kisses down to her neck once more. His hands ran up over her body in soothing strokes, grazing her with soft brushes. Victoria sighed and tilted her head, making better room for Dracula's lips on her skin. She opened her eyes slightly and looked in her lone reflection.

,, Why am I not hating you?" she asked, more to herself than to him, not really thinking of why she said it. Dracula however stopped and pulled away from her neck and his grip around her loosened.

,, And by that you mean?" his voice was bordering on pain. He had been hated and feared too many times.

,, You came to my village. You killed the only family who really cared for me. You kidnapped me and tore me away from everything I knew. You tried to rape me..." Dracula shrunk slightly when she said that but he didn't let go.

,, You did everything that should make me wish you dead and gone..." his grip loosened further and Victoria, who feared he was going to pull away completely, grabbed his arms and held him in place, her back still against him.

,,... yet I can't imagine being without you." he was silent for some time, just standing and feeling Victoria in his arms. Then he twisted her so they stood face to face. It was nice, Victoria felt much more comfortable talking to someone she could actually see. His eyes glowed as blue as the lakes in frosty winter when he held her tighter and kissed her on the forehead.

,, Because you realized just how wonderfully charming I can be." he said and Victoria gave out a sweet laugh, making Dracula feel all... living inside. He would have to get used to that. She placed her hands on his cheeks and let them run down and lock around his neck, smiling so beautifully it hurt. Her lips looked like they were missing something.

_They're missing mine..._ he thought to himself.

,, Or maybe it was the simplest way to make you shut your mouth." she smiled.

,, Quite ironic, since I find it completely irresistible to keep my lips together around you." he whispered and his mouth moved closer to hers. Victoria laughed silently at him and closed her eyes as their lips connected and locked.

His hands moved from her back to her hips, back over her back and up in her hair, then down again, fingers digging into her dress and the soft skin beneath. Victoria's hands slid down over his chest, careful not to touch the cut, and around him, feeling every little piece of his bones through his clothes. It felt very... sad, somehow. Then Dracula's hands slipped to her front and ran slowly up over her chest, Victoria feeling herself lean closer to his touch, and up to her face and pulled them apart, with a great deal of mental force. She looked at him, confused yet happy. She loved the look of him when he smiled, which he did right then.

,, Before we lose ourselves completely, there was another reason for me to come here." he said lowly, as if he feared someone was listening. He let go of her and turned her back around, so she again stood and looked at herself in the mirror.

,, I found you this, some time ago..." he said and Victoria saw his right hand holding something out of the corner of her eye, and looked in the mirror to see it better.

,,... and I think this would be a good time to give you it..." he continued, the black ribbon in the mirror dangling solemnly in the thin air. Dracula's left hand came into view and took the one end of the ribbon, holding it presentational in the mirror, looking like it was levitating, so Victoria could see it perfectly. On the middle of the black band was a freshwater pearl, shaped to perfection in a drop, hanging by a sliver cord wrapped around the base of it. As Victoria looked at the thing in amazement, she felt Dracula's cold fingers touch her neck as they put the ribbon around it and tied a knot and a small bow on it.

,, You could wear it tomorrow..." he said, as if testing if she liked it. Victoria touched the pearl with the tips of her index and middle finger, not knowing what to say.

,, Do you like it?" Dracula asked after some time when the silence had grown too unbearable.

,, It's beautiful." she said and moved her hands to the back of her neck, loosening the knot and holding the necklace in her hand as she turned around again and looked at Dracula, who stood and awaited her judgment.

,, But you don't have to... You have already done so much, I can't really see the reason for spoiling me." he looked at her.

,, I can see it perfectly clear." he smiled and took her arms and pulled her closer.

,, You deserve it." was his reason, before pulling her further into the room. She looked so gorgeous it actually could be smelled on her, sweet and spicy like lavenders.

,, I have another thing I'd like to ask you about..." she said, now she was serious again. He sighed.

,, Yes?"

,, Why did you kill Thomas and his family? And some of the others in the village?"

_Not 'my village'. 'The'. _

,, You had no need to, you said yourself that you never drink that much blood. Maybe two a month, not twenty..." she looked solemnly at him.

,, Because..." he sighed deeply, not wanting to kill the soft glow in her eyes and the memory of her smiling.

,,... I was searching... for you..."

,, What?"

,, I returned about the same night that you left for Rome, it must be, and I found your house..."

'_House', never 'home'._

,,... abandoned. And I recalled you had said the innkeeper was a friend of yours, so his family would be the first ones to hide you." Victoria felt colder with each word he spoke and she stepped away from him, Dracula hating himself for letting go off her.

,, And when you couldn't find me, you..."

,, I looked further, but you was nowhere to be found."

,,... killed without any reason whatsoever." she said. Dracula stepped up to her and took her face in his hands.

,, What are you doing?" Victoria asked when he titled her head back and his eyes began to glow.

,, I need you to understand why I did as you say..." he replied.

,, You're going to mesmerize me?" she asked when she felt her world turn bluer and her movements growing clumsier, when she moved her hands to his, not to tear free but to feel she had a connection with him as well.

,, Not quite." he answered.

And, instead of him penetrating Victoria's mind, Victoria felt herself wrapped in a thick cloak and penetrated his...

_**Where is she?**_

_Victoria's mind burned with the words, the scorched their way into her brain until it was all she could think of._

_**She is not here. **_

_The words continued and Victoria realized they weren't words; they were thoughts, and not hers. Her vision suddenly turned up and she saw a man in front of her, he had lived in the house across from hers, and she heard someone shouting behind her. Screaming. A child was screaming. The man looked pale and he bled from a slash in his eyebrow and Victoria felt her hand, no, Dracula's hand grab the man around the neck and lift him off the floor._

_,, Papa...!" the child screamed._

_,, When. Did she. Leave?" Dracula's growling voice demanded to know._

_,, I don't know, around evening maybe, please that's all." the man croaked. Dracula's hand tightened its grip around the man's neck, until it snapped like a dry twig. The body fell to the floor with a thump and the child behind Dracula screamed even louder..._

Victoria blinked and tried to rid herself of the images, slithering around in her head like snakes, and tore free from Dracula, who looked so unbelievably sad.

,, Victoria, please try to understand why I did it." he whispered and stepped forward. Victoria, still remembering the feeling of the man's neck snapping in her hand, even though it hadn't been hers, pulled further away from him, scared of what might happen if they touched again.

,, I searched high and low for you, and when you couldn't be found I took my rage out on..."

,, On whoever you had caught at the time." she finished. He just looked at her.

,, Why?" she whispered.

,, Why was I so important to you? Why didn't you kill me in the forest? Why did you slaughter a whole family, even when you had found out I wasn't with them?" she stepped back and now stood beside the bed and with her back to the window.

_If only she was _on _the bed..._

,, You weren't important to me, Victory; you _are _important, more than anything else." he stepped forward as he talked, Victoria not moving away from him.

,, I did not kill you that night, or any other for that matter, for I feared that it would be like ruining a rare flower or killing a nightingale." another step, and she still didn't move.

,, And... I knew if I... removed any person you might stay in that village for, I could make you realize how much you hated that place. So you could leave." he had seen it in her eyes, when she walked into the streets, jumping at the smallest sound and pretending her broken window wasn't there.

,, You're a monster." she said, eyes dark and painful. Dracula felt like she had pierced his heart with a burning icicle.

,, Victoria, you mustn't think me that." he walked closer and even though she was shaking, Victoria stood her ground.

,, Please..." he looked at her with pain in his eyes and his heart.

_Not you... Never you..._

,,... do not fear me." she twitched, as if she was about to move away, so he grabbed her arms and held her where she stood, not hurting her.

,, You are a monster..." she said again. Dracula almost let go of her from the sting of her words.

,,... But you are also a human; everything has a shadow, every sound has silence." she said and straightened up.

,, Like a coin." she muttered and smiled. It was the most beautiful smile so far, she outshone the candles in the room with ease.

,, And without the one side, the other wouldn't exist." for some time, he just looked at her. She looked back and smiled softly.

Then he slowly moved his hands up her arms to her shoulders, eyes not moving from hers. His left moved further up and stroked her cheek, then her let it fall down his side. His right hand moved down the front of her dress, until it reached the first button. He snapped it open and moved slowly, almost so slow it was unbearable, down to the second button. Victoria stood with her arms down her sides, hands almost clenching but not quite. The necklace had dropped to the floor and lay by their feet.

,, Tell me to go, Victory, and I will go..." he whispered softly when the second button followed and he moved further down, fingers touching her thin, white silk slip gently, as if the delicate fabric could tear. Another button opened.

,, Tell me to stop and I will stop..." his voice sounded so far away to Victoria, who tried to focus on anything but his hand, opening her dress more and more, stroking her skin through the silk with agile fingers.

,,... But I am sick of hiding my feelings for you..." his voice was so hypnotizing, it lulled her into a form of sanctuary, where nothing could ever hurt her or hate her. The last button snapped open, Dracula's hand sliding inside her dress and touching her skin through the silk with a flat hand, moving it upwards again. Victoria felt like someone was forcing all her air from her lungs. When his hand moved up over her chest, she let out a small sound, making him smile ever so foxy.

,, Should I stop, Victory?" he asked and moved up and grabbed a hold of the velvet of her dress, pulling it more and more aside. Victoria forced herself to tear free from the drugging state he was leading her into and spoke in a breathless voice.

,,.. yes..." he froze as she uttered that one word. His hand pulled away from her so slow it almost didn't move, pondering what he had done to upset her. Then she completed her words.

,,... I..." her voice quivered like a willow.

,,... I want you... to stop... calling me... that...!" she whispered. And then she smiled. He smiled back, and took the shoulders of her dress and slid if off her, sending it to the floor in a rustling pool of dark velvet. Her slip was simple and made her look painfully angelic. The white silk embraced her body softly, ending below her knees in a loose swoop. A thin ribbon held the slip closed over her chest, a clumsy bow tied to it. Dracula felt like his heart had started, just to stop at the sight of her. Victoria, on the other hand, took his silence as a bad sign. After all, she was not one of those thin creatures with curves like unbelievably exaggerated hourglasses; she was a human girl. Her arms moved up and crossed over her chest, feeling utterly simple. Then Dracula grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms away, not forcefully. He looked her top to bottom and back up, stopping when he reached her eyes. And he smiled and pulled her to him in a kiss. Victoria felt very exposed in her thin petticoat, so it was nice to feel Dracula's arms wrap around her, holding her tight. His fingers dug into the silk, hating it for separating him for her. Their kiss grew more burning and Victoria found herself fingering at the buttons of Dracula's coat, the two of them standing too close for her to get a solid hold of them. They pulled slightly away from each other and both began unbuttoning his coat, Victoria from down and up and Dracula moving from his collar and down. When their fingers met at the last button, the twenty of them all fought to open it. When it was done, Dracula quickly slid it off and it joined Victoria's dress on the floor, and he grabbed her once again and kissed her. Victoria leaned completely into his embrace, feeling the soft fabric of his shirt around her bare arms. Her hands ran over his chest, nails clawing at his vest and began opening it, Dracula smiling into her mouth as she did so. When it was opened they pulled apart once more and Dracula tugged it off, disregarding it alongside his coat. Those few seconds it took him pulling the vest off simply hurt too much on both of them. They didn't want to be apart. This time, Dracula pulled Victoria to the bed and softly pushed her down in it and set upon her neck and shoulders with his lips, leaving kiss upon sweet kiss on her skin. Victoria tipped back and closed her eyes, swimming in an ocean of pure passion. Dracula's teeth, the dull, human ones, sank into her neck and Victoria led out a small moan, her body arching so she could be closer to him. His hands, trained to perfection with over 400 years of experience, ran down over her body and made her damn him to Hell; it was however him who had purchased the very same slip that separated his hands from her skin. Her hands grabbed his shirt and desperately forced it open, and she felt his perfect lips curl into a smile against the crook of her neck. He grabbed her hands and together they forced the shirt of him, letting it fall and caring about nothing but each other. His cool arms wrapped around her upper body, Victoria almost caving under the feeling of his bare skin against hers, locking her arms on her chest and pressing his lips against hers. Victoria gasped from the feeling and felt how her toes and fingers curled up. And then he stopped and pulled back, still holding Victoria so she couldn't move her arms. She looked at him, her lips burning and swollen from the connection with his, her chest panting for air and overflowing with desire. Dracula smiled, a mix of coldness, wickedness and love playing in his eyes.

,, And you are sure you wish to go through with this?" he whispered, lips grazing the corner of her mouth when he spoke. Victoria thought of their kisses, his soft skin and the wonderful coolness of it, she felt his weight on her and the rough material of his trousers against her bare legs.

,, You stop to ask me that _now_?!" she smiled and tore free of his arms and choked his words with a lingering kiss. They both smiled and Dracula's hands moved up to her bare shoulders and down her front to the band in her slip, which had begun to feel unbelievably tight to Victoria, tugging the bow open and pulling the silk away from her breasts. Victoria could feel her veins burning from the unfamiliar contact of his chest, then his hands and, oh God, his lips against the tender skin of her bosom and she silently begged for him never to stop. His hands moved back to her shoulders and pulled the straps of the slip down her arms and she wrung free of the tightening fabric. Dracula leaned back on his hands and looked at Victoria, her black hair fanning out under her gorgeous body, her perfect skin and her flawless breasts. She was, without the slightest hint of hesitation, the most ravishing creature he had ever seen. Under him, Victoria pulled completely free of the slip and threw it aside, and was now completely naked.

Something began thundering in Dracula's chest, first it was so unfamiliar he did not recognize it. Then he grabbed Victoria's hand and pressed it against the left side of it. First she was confused, then she realized what it was and her eyes widened and glowed even further, if such a thing was even possible.

,, Your heart...!" it hadn't happened to him that many times; three, maybe four since his death. As if his heart had forgotten it shouldn't be able to work anymore and accustomed itself to the rhythm of the person he was with at the time.

,, No..." he whispered, his hand clutching hers.

,,... I can say without a doubt that it is yours." her hand slowly closed over the point, as if she grabbed it and kept it in her soft hands forever. He placed the same hand he had held hers in on her cheek and stroked her hair away from her face and then he let it run down over her features, her lips nibbling at the tips, then down over her neck, her breasts, her stomach... He let it settle on her hip and drew small circles down the outer part of her thigh with his fingers, smiling teasingly as he did so. Her hands moved down over his chest to the buttons of his trousers, guying him with feather light grazes of her fingers. He growled deeply in his throat but not in rage. It was the other kind of growl.

Then he pulled away from her and swept her ball gown and the mask down to the floor, then pulling off his boots and dropping them to the floor as well. Then came a sigh of the fabric of his trousers, when they as well landed on the floor, in the scatter of clothes that had gathered there.

*

When the evening had begun, Victoria had lit many of the lights in her room. Now, they all stood with their flames burning lesser, turning down and going out as Victoria watched. Not because they were worn down, but because Dracula waved a hand at them and killed most of them, making it all more... cozy. Only a few candles remained lit, bathing the room in a golden shine.

Victoria was lying in her bed, head resting on Dracula's chest, listening to his slowing heart and his breathing. His one hand had dug into her hair and twirled locks of it around his fingers, lulling them both into a groggy state of pure ecstasy. The ruffled covers of the bed hand mostly fallen to the floor, but Dracula had gotten a hold of one and had pulled it over them, to keep them warm. The clip in his hair had snapped open at some point, and he had only made a vain attempt to gather it again, so more loose strands than usual framed his face. None of them spoke. It wasn't necessary.

After some time, Dracula's heart slowed furthermore, then completely stopped. He sighed.

,, Alas, I fear that would be all for now." he spoke softly and Victoria huddled closer to him as the hand which had been twined in her hair hand down over her back and held her faster. His other arm moved to her hair and picked up where the other had stopped. Victoria closed her eyes and turned her head slightly, kissed his chest at the point over his heart, then leaned back again.

,, Out of all the sounds in the world, that is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard." she announced softly. Dracula smiled and snuggled down beside her, holding her in his arms like she was a bird with a broken wing. One that needed to be protected but not smothered.

However, he knew that if he ever told her that, he was the one who'd end up with a broken wing.

,, Do you think they are missing us downstairs?" she asked carefully, not wanting to kill the soft atmosphere of the moment. He shrugged.

,, When you are not around, everyone misses you. I think Gabriel can manage without me though." she gave him a soft push.

,, Really?" she asked, her sweet voice filled with sarcasm.

,, Interesting.

I never knew a tongue so sharp would taste so sweet."

,, And I never knew that a dead man would make me live." she said and yawned. Dracula pulled the cover closer around them, wrapping them closer together.

,, You should rest." he murmured.

,, We're both tired, but what if Van Helsing walks in?"

,, And that is precisely why I took the liberty and locked the door." he said, smiling down her hair. Victoria smiled likewise, looking at his cut through heavy lids. She reached out and touched it with careful strokes, until Dracula caught her hand in his and held it still.

,, Give it a week and it will be gone." he kissed her shoulder and dug his face into her hair, his cold breath felt so good against her skin...

She titled her head to his chest and yawned again, looking through her eyelashes and seeing a billowing image of the room, the last candles going out and finally, darkness.

*

Victoria stirred in her sleep, searching for the coolness of Dracula's body. But she was alone in the bed. And the softness under her head wasn't his chest, but her own arm.

_A dream...? No, that's not possible...! _

She opened her eyes, begging that it hadn't been something she had dreamt. The black lacework curtain had been pulled down over her bed, so she felt like she was wrapped in a spider's web. She had been wrapped thoroughly in warm covers and sheets and she was resting most of her upper body on pillows. Not a candle in the room was lit and it wasn't necessary; the curtains to the window were drawn and soft light poured in.

_Either dusk or dawn_.

Dracula was standing by the window, fully dressed and with his ponytail gathered to perfection, hands behind his back and looking out over the city. Victoria let out a small sight of relief; I hadn't been a dream. She fell back into the warm bed, her head swimming with pleasure at the memory of last night.

,, I trust you slept well?" Dracula asked, not turning his eyes from the view of Bucharest, bathed in gold. Victoria outstretched her arms over her head and stretched like a cat.

,, Wonderful." she purred and wondered if she could ever stop smiling? Dracula turned his head and looked at her, pondering how he could ever have existed before he had first set his eyes upon her. Victoria looked right back at him, through stray lock of her hair and the web, her lips smiling so softly at him he felt his... darker side, longing to tear those useless sheets to shreds and _never _let her go. Instead, he flashed and now sat on the bed beside her, looking down at her pale face and those grey, never ending eyes. She smiled back up at him. He lay down beside her and kissed her neck, hugging her to him and sniffing in her scent. Victoria smiled drowsily when Dracula's hands moved up and ran through her hair, her arms wrapping around him and wondering how long they could stay like that, before Van Helsing barged in. He usually did.

Somebody knocked on the door.

_I hate being right...! _

,, Yes?" Victoria called, Dracula continuing his kissing along her neck, as if he was totally oblivious to the knocking.

,, Victoria?

I just wanted to check in on you. You hardly showed yourself last night, I wondered if something was wrong?" Van Helsing asked. Victoria could almost hear his hand on the doorknob. Dracula chuckled and moved to the other side of the neck, Victoria trying to shove him away and failing.

,, Would you stop that?!" she hissed through her smile.

,, I'm fine, I was just tired from all the dancing.

I'll be down soon, no need to worry. And..." Dracula bit her earlobe, making Victoria bite her tongue.

,, And thank you for being concerned about me." she could hear Van Helsing wondering if something was up, but he left after some time at the door.

Victoria put her hands on Dracula's shoulders, then gave him a violent shove which forced him to his back. She pressed him down the bed and gave him a mean stare.

,, Now, _this _I could get used to." he smirked. She tried to glare daggers, but it was hard when smiling from ear to ear.

,, When we're through...!" she threatened. He licked his lips.

,, That sounds very interesting." he smiled and tugged at the sheets he had wrapped her in. Victoria wrung out of his arms and crawled tot the edge of the bed, reaching down and grabbing for her scattered clothes, reaching out under the lacework curtain. Then she reconsidered and edged to the foot of the bed and grabbed the rope for the web and pulled it, making the black fabric disappear. She swung her legs out over the side of the bed and stood up, sheets wrapped around her, and picked up her chemise and velvet dress, the fabric rustling like the ghosts of dead leaves. She turned to Dracula, holding her clothes close to her body as if they would protect her from harm. Dracula sat on the bed, smiling like a fox.

,, Close your eyes." she said.

,, After last night I can't really see the point in that." he smiled. Victoria shook her head and grabbed the rope to the crimson curtain and pulled it down, shielding herself from Dracula's eyes. She quickly pulled on her slip, fingers fumbling at the cords but then Dracula, who now stood in front of her, grabbed her hands. He kissed her ten fingers, as if counting to see if some were missing, then he took the cords of the chemise and tied a bow on it, hands moving up and cupping her face.

,, You are so..." he titled her head slightly and closed his eyes.

,,... so beautiful." his lips kissed her cheek, then moved to her mouth and closed softly around her bottom lip, tasting her like fine wine. Victoria sighed and kissed back, then pulled away and slid into her dress, her and Dracula buttoning it together. When the last button was closed, their fingers wrapped around one another and their foreheads rested against each other.

,, Light of my life." he cooed.

,, Pestilence of mine." she whispered and smiled softly.

,, We need to go downstairs. And I need to wash up before we go to the ball." she continued and let go of Dracula and walked to her vanity, taking her comb and smoothing out her hair. She noticed a dark patch on her neck, like a week old bruise that hadn't quite disappeared yet. She touched it, wondering when she could have gotten it. When she realized it, the blood rushed to her cheeks and she turned to Dracula, who had been standing and watching her affectionate.

,, Can you remove this?" she asked, fingers still resting at the love bite. Dracula shrugged.

,, I can. I do not know if I want to." she walked closer to him, still not taking her eyes from his.

,, You have to." she said. Dracula reached out and stroked the point proudly, like he had done with his coat of arms in his castle.

,, You are ashamed of our acts last night?"

,, No..." she took his hand, still grazing the mark.

,,... never. But if Van Helsing sees it..."

,, Then what?" Victoria pursed her lips.

,, Victoria... Let him see."

,, You don't understand. I'm so tired of him, always looking at me like I was..." she looked away for a brief second.

,,... some kind of animal, one that is tolerated but when it does something one thinks wrong, its going to suffer from it forever..." Dracula's hand slid out from Victoria's grasp and stroked her cheek.

,, I am not ashamed for loving you. I'm not ashamed for loving a vampire...

I'm... I'm ashamed for loving a man who killed the woman my friend loved..." her voice was so small.

,, Anna Valerious died because he killed her."

,, But it was because of you..." his hand moved away from her cheek, making Victoria feel abandoned.

,, Well, since you are so _ashamed_ of _loving _me..." the way he spoke the words made Victoria wish she could fall through a crack in the floor...

,,... then maybe you could form a set of lines for me to follow. How close I can be to you, how long I can look at you, am I allowed holding you?"

,, That wasn't what I meant...!" she said.

,, I am just sick of the two of you always bickering and fighting, I hate being the one who is to stop your battles and feel like I'm betraying both of you...!" Dracula walked forward and stroked her cheek once more, a mild tinkling creeping over her skin as he healed the love bite. He kissed her cheek and she leaned against his chest, eyes closing as his arms found their way around her body.

,, I did not know you fought my battles without me wanting you to. But, believe me..." he rested his head against hers.

,, I do know how it is to be on both sides."

_Neither living nor dead... _

,, And how painful it is when they both deny you." he kissed her ear and pulled back, smiling teasingly.

,, I will just have to make another little token of my love to you, where Gabriel can't see it." she smiled at that and he took her arm and they walked to the door together.

*

The breakfast was done with in a hurry, Camille and Victoria needing to freshen up before pulling in their gowns. Dracula smiled shadowy at the sight of the girls, retreating hurriedly to make ready, himself going to his room and changing into his finest attire, wondering how many dances he and Victoria could get away with, before deciding to retire and spend some time alone. Together.

Back down in the entrance hall, Horatiu looked down at the tips of his black polished boots and nodded to himself; he had cleaned up quite good. He was wearing the most fashionable evening smoking, even though the cut of the jacket was slightly... old and he had his boots on instead of shoes. He preferred it that way, a memory of good, old days. His long hair had been gathered in a small silver ring with a ruby in it. Camille had advised him to wear his hair like that, so how could he say no?

Dracula walked out of the shadows by the staircase, dressed in his best suit. His clothes were older, cut by tailors long since gone. The gold in his attire was illuminating magically along with his earring, making him look like the count he had once been.

,, Vladislav, going classically I see."

,, My finest clothing."

,, And apparently, your only one." Van Helsing was walking out of the dining room, eyes narrow and hating.

,, Don't you have anything else to wear?" he had been wearing that last year... When he had been dancing around with Anna...

,, Gabriel, this is not for you to worry about.

Unless you wish to dance with me as well, for then I will change to fit your linking." Van Helsing walked quickly up to Dracula, lifting a clenched fist to knock out his grinning teeth, but stopped and forced his arm down his side again, even though it hurt physically.

,, Good to see you are learning." Dracula smiled.

,, Listen Dracula, were I alone here, I wouldn't hesitate to sever your head from your wretched shoulders...!" Van Helsing pulled out a bowie knife from his belt and rested it against Dracula's Adam's apple, the vampire just smiling coldly back.

,,... But since I'm staying here for Victoria's sake, she is the one to make that order. I just hope she will soon."

,, Oh, I wouldn't count on it." Dracula polished his nails against his golden cape, then placed his index finger on the blade of the knife and pushed it away, his skin breaking and a line of black blood oozing out from the pinprick.

,, Last time I spoke to Victoria, she didn't seem too keen on seeing me beheaded.

It would make me a most unsuitable dance partner."

,, I can think of a few other reasons." Van Helsing growled, putting the knife back in his belt.

,, And why am I not surprised?" Dracula said to himself and licked his blood from his finger, the wound already closing.

,, How long is this ball going to last?"

,, Oh, when we want it to. Do not worry, there will still be plenty of time for your beddie-byes." if it was even possible, Van Helsing's eyes narrowed even more.

,, Whatever little gathering of sick thoughts that might collect in your rotting skull will be telling you, I'd advise you this; keep your hands of Victoria."

_Too late Gabriel. Far too late for that._

,, And why is that? Because she is so..." he took some time looking for the words he already had on the tongue, smirking when he saw Van Helsing's burning gaze.

,,... Pure? Innocent? Angelic? Absolutely gorgeous? Sweet as a rose, not yet plucked?"

,, Stop that!" Van Helsing hissed.

,, Gabriel, I have been with over a thousand women. Of every colour, every nation and every faith." the look on Van Helsing's face was absolutely _priceless_. Bitter, hating and directly murderous.

,, I have had them in every position you can imagine, and since you are so wonderfully holy, a few you cannot. I have tasted their honey-coated tongues so many times even _I _have lost count of them. I have kissed them on their lips, and that does not necessarily mean on their mouths..." Van Helsing grabbed for his knife again and took a threatening step towards Dracula.

,,... Now, put that silly toy away before you cut yourself.

And even though I enjoyed my little games with them very much, none of them could ever hold a candle to Victoria." Van Helsing still glared, but he lowered his hand with the knife in it.

,, I would at any time choose her scorn over their sweet words.

Her silence over their voices." Dracula's lips curled up to a small smile, remembering every punch she had ever delivered to him. And that one special occasion where he had been stabbed by her.

,, Her fighting over their peace." he smiled coldly when Van Helsing put the knife away again.

,, And even though you doubt my intentions, I would die for her. For I am dying without her in any case...

So please; can we settle our differences for this one night? For Victoria?" Van Helsing gave a barely noticeable nod.

,, I suppose so."

,, Good, for she is standing behind you." Van Helsing spun and, quite right, there Victoria stood on the third step of the staircase. The gown was tailored to perfection and suited her beautifully, the dark green of the dress along with the paleness of her skin and her black hair making her look like a rusalka or nixie. Her eyes had been finely lined with black and her lips were a deep shade of burgundy, thanks to Camille's heavy arsenal of lip rouge and other whatnots of the female makeup trade. Around her neck was the necklace she had been given and, in a small attempt to add some more jewelry to the mix, Camille had tied a black ribbon around her index finger. In her hands, the mask was, her fingers running nervously over its smooth, painted surface. Her hair had been brushed to a point where it shone like her eyes, but it had no braids or clips in it. It was too smooth to be tied up in formal hairstyle.

,, Please don't stare." she muttered and took the last steps, Van Helsing gawking slightly at the sight and Dracula swallowing his gawks and hiding them under a loving smile. None of them paid much attention to Camille, who was dressed in a deep blue gown. She silently tip toed past them, over to Horatiu who was looking at her with the same mix of love and affection as Dracula did at Victoria.

Finally Van Helsing shook himself out of his gawking.

,, You... Well, you look..." at that moment, he so wished Victoria would have changed. He thought of the first time he had met her, bumping into her at the Vatican. A travel worn young woman, looking tired and hungry but still determined to find him. Stubborn beyond belief, brave enough to fight Dracula...

He so wanted that Victoria and the one in front of him to be two different persons. This Victoria had experienced so much more, as was only natural since time had passed since they had met, but it was still the same glow in her eyes. It was still Victoria; now, she was just wearing a ball gown and in love with Dracula.

,, You look amazing." he finally managed to say, Victoria's painted lips curling into a soft smile.

,, Thank you." her eyes travelled from his to Dracula's, who was standing behind Van Helsing and looking at Victoria with the same glow to his eyes as he had had in her bedroom last night. Van Helsing stepped out to the side and Dracula bowed to Victoria, like he had done to beautiful ladies centuries ago.

,, My lady..." he greeted. Victoria led out a small snort but didn't contradict his words in any other way. Dracula stepped closer and took her hand, kissing it like the gentleman he was, even tough he kissed it several second longer that the etiquette was. He then tugged her closer and placed his other hand on her waist, pulling her so close there was no space between them, and began dancing around the hall with her, Victoria feeling silly and knowing she would never be as good a dancer as Dracula, clutching her mask in one hand. Dracula didn't notice her insecurity, he just moved elegantly around the room and thought of all the times he had danced in his life, remembering every little move and sway, making it look so easy to dance.

,, Tonight, Victoria, I am alive." he said as they slowed down their dancing, moving like a set of loving dancers in a music box. Dracula lifted his hand and twisted a stray lock of Victoria's hair around it.

,, And I will never give it up." he so wanted to kiss her, but with Gabriel watching them, he settled for holding her.

,, Well, you should be going." Van Helsing said. Victoria turned her head and looked at him, one eyebrow lifted slightly.

,, 'You'?" Van Helsing nodded.

,, I've decided not to go with you tonight." he had seen how Victoria glowed and, hating himself for it, listened to what Dracula had said and had agreed with some of it. He didn't like the thought of seeing the light in Victoria's eyes die every time he walked up behind her and kept an eye on Dracula.

,, But..."

,, I think you will enjoy the evening more without me.

Besides, Horatiu has lend Carl his laboratory, so I need to make sure he doesn't..." somewhere in the house, an explosion sounded and the mansion shook, chandeliers in the ceilings quivering and windows shivering.

,,... wrecks havoc on the building." Victoria walked over to Van Helsing, Dracula pretending to seem surprised by the turn of events.

,, You just enjoy yourself." Van Helsing said. Victoria felt slightly sad, Van Helsing shouldn't to be alone...

,, Well, it's your call." she finally shrugged. Then she gave him a hug, enveloping him in an aura of lavender, as if that simple gesture could wipe away his feeling of loneliness. And to tell the truth...

Van Helsing carefully wrapped his arms around Victoria.

It did.

,, Come now, you'll mess up your dress." he said and pulled away from Victoria, smiling so softly and friendly.

,, I'll be seeing you later." Victoria gave a small nod to that. Then she felt something soft around her bare shoulders as Dracula wrapped her coat around them and kissed her temple.

They walked out of the door and down the marble path to the street where a black coach awaited, pulled by four black horses. Horatiu held the door and Dracula helped Camille and Victoria in, turning one last time to the silhouette of Van Helsing in the door.

,, Gabriel..." he gave a nod and stepped inside the carriage. Van Helsing watched as the coach drove away down the street, then walked inside and up the stairs to his room. He peeled off his coat and let it fall to the floorboards. Then he pulled off his shirt and ran a hand through his dark hair, sighing deeply before sitting down on the bed and pulling his boots off. Then he got back up and walked to one of the sacks and knelt down by it, rummaging through its contents until he grabbed a small hip flask, made of pure silver. He pulled it out and swallowed the clear liquid, then walked back to the bed he had never slept in.

He sometimes got nightmares, and lately, they had been centering around Anna. So he had Carl produce something for his dreaming, making him sleep without it. He pulled the covers aside and fell down in the bed, begging to sleep until dawn, wondering if it had been right to let Dracula and Victoria be alone...?

But then he slept and with his sleep, came the dark embrace of the oblivion one plummeted into when one didn't dream.

**Yeah, I know: a VERY long chapter, but I stil think that I can't escape the towering shadow of Chapter 30... **

**And sorry for the update, but exams are soon up at school and we're really working hard on them. And then there's some B-I-T-C-H-E-S ( If you are human, you know the type!) after one of my friends, so I've spent some time being with her as well. **

** But now, the whole school is having project weeks, which means two things: We are getting off early and NO HOMEWORK!!!:D So I'll have more time to write and finish this story:) Every review makes it easier writing and puts a smile on my face. See ya', honeyloves!;) **


	29. Chapter 29

Twenty-nine.

Choose.

The coach had been driving for some time and when it came to a halt, Victoria looked out of the window and saw a huge palace, thousand of torches lighting it up like something from a book. The door of the coach opened and the two vampires stepped out, each of them helping their loves out afterwards. Dracula grabbed Victoria around the waist and lifted her out of the carriage, Victoria feeling dizzy from the feeling of his arms holding her.

,, I don't suppose you are going to put me down at some point?" she asked, smiling down at Dracula, who smiled equally softly back.

,, And why should I, when this arrangement is so much more wonderful for the both of us?"

,, Well..." Victoria placed her hands on his shoulders, mask held in the left one, finding a point of balance.

,,... because I'm asking you." he shook his head.

,, Not enough."

,, In that case, I'm telling you." Dracula's arms tightened around Victoria's waist. He grinned up at her, making it clear that wasn't enough either.

,, Well we can't stand here all night." Victoria said, even thought Dracula was the only one standing and her feet dangled freely above the ground.

,, On the contrary, I wouldn't mind at all."

,, Put. Me. Down."

,, Now that is the way a true countess speaks." he loosened his hold and Victoria landed on the ground, hands still on his shoulders.

,, Oh? Countess...? I could imagine worse titles."

,, Countess..." he whispered against her cheek, moving down to her neck and grazing his teeth against her skin.

,,... Victoria..." he remembered last time he hast hung at a woman's neck like that. One year ago with Anna Valerious. And this time it was nice knowing that Gabriel wouldn't come barging and... set him on fire. He had only just gotten rid of the stench of the smoke in his cape...

,,... Dragulia..." he closed his lips around her ear, truly regretting that he had suggested going to this ball. Victoria sighed and pushed him away, already learning to use his weakest point against him.

,, Sounds wonderful." one of his hands moved up and took the mask from her hand, moving his fingers to the ribbons and tying the bonds around her head, her eyes looking at him through the holes in the mask.

,, There. A more stunning sight I can't imagine." he ran a finger along the edge of the mask.

,, And where's your mask?" Victoria asked.

,, Ah, my little trick of magic..." he held up his hands in front of his face, like he was shielding his eyes from some unseen thing; when he let them fall down again, he was wearing a golden mask which Victoria thought both beautiful and stupid. It suited him but he would look better without it.

,, Handy little thing to learn."

,, Oh, I've got a thousand more." he placed a hand on the small of her back and they walked towards the torch lit entrance.

,, You must show me some time." the entrance hall was huge, the ceiling so far above their heads even the light of the candles couldn't reach completely, leaving huge shadows in the corners. The marble floor had been covered with dried petals of tens of thousands of roses of every colour, locked in that delicate and so fragile state of breakable beauty. The gilded tapestries on the walls made it all seem like a story, making the vampires around them look like things a fae might dream about. Women in silken gowns and men in formal robes walked around in groups and pairs, muttering and whispering to each other.

,, Oh, I already have another worth showing." Dracula said and turned Victoria by the hips, so they now stood face to face. He snapped his fingers and Victoria felt a sudden chill to her shoulders when her coat disappeared, only to reappear in the same fraction of a second in Dracula's hand.

,, Impressive." she said as Dracula handed the coat to a servant.

,, Later, I will show that it is not only coats I can remove like that." the hand on her hip moved around her back and drew her closer, holding her to him while running a finger along her collarbone. She chuckled and shook her head.

,, I suppose I have to get used to that now." she said while Dracula placed a kiss on her cheek, kissing the mask as well.

,, To what?" he asked.

,, To attend balls and dance around with a vampire, who I love."

,, And I am in love..." he began moving around again, dragging Victoria along.

,,... with an angel..." he spun around with her, Victoria feeling more and more stupid with every move.

,,... who has never learned..." out of the corner of her eye Victoria noticed that all the vampires they danced by bowed deeply, showing their respect for the lord Dracula.

,,... to dance." he dipped her and grinned so wide his mask almost fell off.

,, Is that a problem?" Victoria's eyebrow arched.

,, Never." he pulled her back up.

,, Master Dracula..." a tall woman, dressed completely in white, nodded her head respectfully at Dracula. She had long ginger hair, tied up in dreadlocks and pale green eyes stared out from the two holes of her white mask. Her skin was pale, except for light freckles down her neck and bare shoulders. She curtsied and looked at Victoria, with something Victoria hoped was curiosity and not curious hunger.

,, I see the rumors of your death were... exaggerated."

,, As always." Dracula's arm wrapped around Victoria's waist, making Victoria feel a little more... safe, in an entry hall filled with vampires, leading into a ballroom crammed with vampires.

The woman's pale lips smiled, still looking intensely at Victoria.

,, And this is?"

,, Victoria." Victoria answered. Her last name was to be forgotten, like the rest of her relations to her "family".

,, My... escort for this evening."

,, Charmed." the woman said and smiled, her fangs giving away the fact that she was a vampire easily.

,, Geogeta?" a man walked up to the woman with amber eyes and sungolden skin and a dark green suit. His hair was very dark brown and ended just by his shoulders. He looked at Victoria and Dracula, smiling warmly.

,, Hello. I don't believe I've had the pleasure?" he reached out a hand to take Victoria's.

,, Victoria." they shook hands and the man kissed Victoria's, his lips were... warm.

,, Count Vladislav Dragulia." Dracula said, smiling evilly. The man's blood drained from his face and his eyes widened. He let go of Victoria's hand and looked like he didn't know where to put himself.

Then it struck Victoria; he was human!

,, C... Cou... Count Dracula?" he stuttered, the two vampires grinning slightly and Victoria smiling softly at the man's reaction.

,, Andrei, relax." the woman named Geogeta said. She hooked her arm in his and smiled at Victoria, who now smiled back with the same kindness.

,, Good to see that... you are here." Geogeta said to Victoria. Another vampire and human in love... Victoria was happy.

,, Thank you." she looked at Dracula who still grinned wickedly at Andrei.

,, Stop it." she smiled and gave him a soft push. Dracula's cold eyes dimmed and he smiled at the couple.

,, So, are any of the resent tales about you true, master?" Geogeta asked.

,, That really does depend on what is being said about me." Dracula said sounding amused.

,, Well... one story told that you had fallen for a human... I suppose that is true.

Then we heard that you had decided to... decline your gift...?"

,, True. I felt it was time for some changes." Geogeta bowed her head in awe.

,, I respect your choice, master."

,, Thank you." Dracula nodded to the couple then turned to Victoria.

,, And I believe it would be time for us to make an appearance." he led her in through the golden double doors and they were now in a massive ballroom, where about 16 different means of entertainment were going on, all from magicians and fire eaters to jongleurs and... the dreaded dancing.

,, Please don't make me do this." Victoria caught the sight of Horatiu and Camille, both wearing their masks and spinning around on the dance floor with ease. Dracula moved his hand on her back higher and took her hand with his free one.

,, Just move normally. A part of dancing is being able to trust your partner."

,, Can't I trust you in a place where people can't see us?" she asked, looking down at her feet and trying to make them move like Dracula's.

,, Like we did last night?" he teased. Tryingly she stepped him over the foot, smiling innocently.

,, My, aren't I clumsy?"

The room around them spun in moves, sometimes slowly and sometimes fast, making Victoria dizzy. The gold in the tapestries alongside with the colourful robes the passing dancers wore all mixed together in a blur, making Dracula's glowing eyes the only solid thing to hold on to. She hardly noticed when his arms slipped closer around her, their dance still fighting to keep up with the other dancers. After some time, Dracula stopped and sighed.

,, This was a mistake." he said. Victoria stopped and wondered what was wrong, if it was something she had caused.

,, What?" his hands slipped up her back and his fingers wrapped around the ribbons, tugging the bow open. He pulled the mask off her features and disregarded it on the floor, leaving it to be kicked around by moving dancers. He cupped her face.

,, Well this is so much better." he announced. Victoria sighed at him and moved her hands up over his neck to his face and removed the mask, dropping it to the floor as well.

,, If you are to see me, I am so see you." Dracula's mask skidded across the marble floor, left alone like Victoria's.

,, Fair shall be fair." he said and kissed her cheek, not wanting to ruin her make up. Victoria's eyes closed and she leaned closer to him. All the music around them faded away, the only thing that mattered was the knowledge of being so near each other in public and not being forced to hide it.

,, Should we keep on dancing?" reluctantly, Victoria nodded.

,, You should keep on dancing, I should keep on trying to dance." he took her hand again and placed his other one on her back. They moved again, Dracula catching up with the dancers so fast Victoria couldn't believe it.

After what felt like forever to Victoria, the music stopped and Dracula pulled her out to the side of the room, still holding her close to him. He nuzzled her hair with his fingers, making her purr like a cat. He smiled at her reaction.

,, I could actually get used to all this..." she said and looked at the dancers around them, smiling for herself at the sight.

,, Enjoying yourselves?" Horatiu said as he and Camille walked up beside them. Dracula twisted a lock of Victoria's hair around his finger and Victoria nodded as her only answer.

,, I was wondering if you maybe would share a dance later?" Horatiu asked, looking at Victoria.

,, I had hoped that this would be my first and last dance ever, but I will make and exception for a friend."

,, And then what will I get?" Dracula asked. She pushed him softly and the music around them started to flow again. Horatiu grinned when he took Victoria's hand and pulled her out on the dancefloor, Dracula and Camille joining in a pair as well.

Victoria felt smaller with every step, she had never known it would be so difficult just to move around. And apparently it showed, for Horatiu stopped and looked at her with furrowed eyebrows.

,, Something wrong?" Victoria shook her head and forced herself to smile.

,, Just a bit dizzy, nothing more." Horatiu immediately stopped and helped her away from the dancing couples.

,, Horatiu, it's nothing, I'm just not used to dance."

,, And that is exactly why we need to stop." he said, leading Victoria down through the room and walking towards an open door in the wall.

,, Considering you are not used to it and you are wearing your dress so tight..." the gown didn't have a corset (luckily) but small slices of wood or bone had been sown into the figure and it hurt slightly to take a deep breath of air. The door led out into a small hall, the cool air in it feeling so wonderful against Victoria's skin. She leaned against the wall and rested a hand on her aching ribs, as if it would make the pain go away.

,, I know you must think me silly..." she said and smiled softly. Horatiu shook his head.

,, Nonsense. I am no expert on the matter, but I do believe breathing can sometimes be difficult." Victoria laughed slightly. He touched her arm gently.

,, I'll go and find Vladislav." she didn't have time to answer that he didn't have to before he walked back down the hall and through the door to the ballroom. Victoria sighed and rested up against the wall, breathing the cool air in deeply. She closed her eyes and sighed softly.

A cold hand was pressed down over her mouth and Victoria's eyes shot open, gazing into a pair of bone white eyes.

,, Well well, what do we have here?" a cold voice mused as the owner of the hand, voice and eyes grabbed Victoria and dragged her down the hall.

Now, Victoria loved Dracula. And she so wanted to open up to the nocturnal lives of the vampires. And treat them all as kind as possible, like you did when you met a person for the first time. But as the vampire pulled her through a door into a cold longue, Victoria felt glad for having stuck her dagger in her boot before she left the mansion.

*

Dracula walked casually down the side of the room, couples around him stopping and bowing their heads in respect as he walked past them. He smiled at the thought of his stubborn Victoria, most likely kicking herself about now for not excelling in all subjects which she set her mind upon. Actually, he was glad that she was tired of dancing so soon; he wanted to take her for a walk through the streets. About now, every person in Bucharest were celebrating Hallow's Eve in their specific way, and he thought Victoria might feel more comfortable outside, with the cool air colouring her cheeks and tangling her hair.

*

Victoria tried to shove the hands away as they grabbed her around the waist again, spinning her around like some part of a game, but it was of little use as they pushed her in the back and sent her stumbling back over the floor. She fell into another persons arm and closed her eyes as her insides turned, the vampires around her laughing in delight.

Victoria had counted five vampires, two women and three men. One of them, the one with the cold eyes who had grabbed her and pulled her away from the hall, had mesmerized her and now she could hardly move without her head hurting. She felt a pair of fangs graze her neck and tried to shove the person away, but her arms were weak and it was like pushing a boulder.

,, Got some spirit this one, eh?" the vampire holding her said and the other ones laughed. He was wearing deep crimson robes and had long white hair, even though he looked not a day older than 25. His eyes were the colour of gold and he made Victoria shudder just by looking at her.

,, Tell me..." he forced her up so their eyes met and Victoria felt cold.

,,... does such a pretty little thing as you have a name?" his eyes bored into hers and Victoria felt her mind being forced open, while the vampire searched for the information he needed.

,, Victoria." he said after some time.

,, Sounds delicious." he grinned and leaned in, his fangs positioning themselves on Victoria's neck.

,, My turn." another one said and Victoria felt herself being pulled away and was now standing in the arms of a vampire with pitch black eyes and deep brown hair. He grinned wickedly at her, Victoria wringing to try and break free for long enough to get her dagger, her nails digging into his dark blue suit.

,, Shame she's not a virgin, it has been some time since I have tasted one." he grabbed her hair with a strong hand and forced her head to tilt, exposing her neck to the room. Then another one grabbed her and she was tugged away and was now back in the arms of the vampire with the white eyes. He was dressed completely in grey and he was the one Victoria was most afraid of.

,, Well, if you don't want her, I'm not that picky." Victoria tried to wring away and hissed at the vampire holding her, her world turning white and cold like his eyes.

,, Go to Hell." he grabbed her chin and wrenched her face closer to his, tracing his index finger over her lips.

,, Such harsh words from such a pretty mouth." Victoria tried to bite him, but he pulled his hand away just in time. Victoria felt colder with every second she was staring into his eyes, her world was now as cold and bare as his soul.

,, Wonder if it tastes as insensitive as it sounds." he grinned before pressing his icy lips against Victoria's, forcing hers apart and erasing all traces of warmth in her mouth. Victoria closed her eyes and wrung to get away, trying to shut out the laughter of the surrounding vampires. Finally Victoria managed to force their lips apart, gasping almost desperately for the air she had been deprived of. Her lip rouge had been smeared across her cheek as well as the vampire's lips, and she could only imagine how glowering her eyes were. Her chest rose and fell as she fought to catch her breath and the vampire looked at her, licking the make up from his lips.

,, Loss of breath?" he nodded to one of the other vampires, a pale blond woman with a pale yellow dress, who walked over and handed him a wine glass, filled with a ruby substance.

,, Here. Drink this." he held the glass to her lips and Victoria knew she could do nothing but drink, his eyes left room for nothing else but drinking the thick salty blood, even though she tried to shake her head and spit it out. Only when the glass was empty did he remove it, one arm wrapped around her body so she couldn't move her arms. She began coughing, wanting the taste to go away.

,, You've had her for long enough. I'm hungry!" one of the women wailed.

,, This one is mine; you feed on the people you catch." he said and tilted his head, looking at Victoria with nothing but hunger in his eyes.

,, You've spilt some." he said and leaned down, the cold tip of his cold tongue finding a thin line of the blood Victoria had managed to spit out, running from the corner of her mouth. He managed to force himself to another kiss, but stopped when Victoria let out a cry of pain when a sharp-nailed hand dug into her shoulder. The vampire glared at the woman behind Victoria, dressed in deep purple with fluorescent yellow eyes, and let go of Victoria who fell to the floor.

,, What did I just say?!" he shouted and took a threatening step towards the woman.

Victoria seized the opportunity and quickly pulled up her gown far enough to grab her dagger and hide it under a fold of green silk. The man had stopped shouting and turned back and grabbed Victoria by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet, their backs against the other vampires in the room, Victoria hating him for holding her like they were lovers.

,, Victoria, was it?" he breathed on her shoulder and let his hands roam over her body, in an almost gentle manner. Victoria nodded, clutching the knife in her hand.

,, I do not know what mindless "vampire" brought you here tonight, but how about I show you how a real one acts?" his words made Victoria choke a chuckle, they were simply too laughable! Had he only known, the poor fool...!

Victoria leaned in to his touches, uttering small noises of pleasure in doing so.

,, That sounds... wonderful." she purred.

,, Bu first... I think there's something you need to know." his fangs almost pierced her skin, but not quite.

,, And what is that?"

,, This." and Victoria quickly lifted the knife and stabbed in the air behind her, feeling how the blade hit something, cut something and the vampire roared in pain and surprise and pushed her away from him, holding a hand to his bloody cheek. The other vampires stood stunned and watched.

,, You will pay for that...!" he spat and before Victoria knew what was going on, the dagger was knocked from her hand and a slap across the face send her across the room, hitting the wall furthest away from the door. She cried out in pain and loss of air made her head spin. She looked at the vampires through her eyelashes, suddenly feeling very out worn, now the glamour of the white eyed vampire had been broken.

Someone began to clap, holding a fast pace matching the beating or Victoria's heart to perfection, and all the heads in the room turned to find out where the sound was coming from. Dracula stepped out from a shadow, clapping his hands to Victoria's heart, smiling warmly at the vampires in the room. He slowed the beat down, then stopped completely.

,, Now, there's a sound I would recognize anywhere." he said, his eyes taking in the scene and the faces around him. By the wall, Victoria sighed and rested her head against her arm. Now she could allow herself to relax.

,, Lord Dracula, I had heard something about you being with us tonight, but I thought it rumors." the white eyed vampire said, running a hand along his healing cut before bowing to Dracula, like the other vampires in the room.

,, I take it you all are enjoying the evening?" Dracula said, his cool blue eyes finding Victoria's.

,, Oh yes. As a matter of fact, we were just about to finish the dessert."

_Dessert?! _of course. The blood she had been drinking had to come from somewhere. Someone.

,, Something good on the menu?" he cocked his head and grinned at Victoria, who tried to stand herself up.

,, Romanian woman, up north from the smell of her, not a virgin. Probably not been for years now." the man with the white eyes said, still bitter from Victoria cutting him. Dracula licked his lips.

,, Sounds ideal, I haven't eaten for some time." Victoria had only managed to get to her feet before the man with the black eyes grabbed her by the neck and forced her forward, throwing her to the floor in front of Dracula.

,, Up we go." he said and knelt down, helping Victoria to stand up. She still felt dizzy, so it was nice leaning into Dracula's embrace.

,, What's your name, little angel?" he asked and wiped the last traces of blood and lip rouge away from her face with his white handkerchief.

,, Victoria." she smiled.

,, Victoria. Quite a beautiful name." he teased, Victoria fighting to keep her smile inside.

,, It means..." she started.

,, Victory." they both finished. The handkerchief disappeared and Dracula touched the cuts in her shoulder. His eyes turned cold.

,, Don't overreact, you've given me much more severe cuts than these." she whispered. He planted a gentle kiss of her lips, then let go of her and turned towards the group of vampires.

,, Come closer." he ordered to the white eyes vampire, who grinned proudly as he walked closer. Victoria was the only on who noticed that her dagger was gone from the floor, and was now in Dracula's hand.

,, I take it you were the one who caught this angel out in the halls?" Victoria would have liked to try and stop Dracula, but she couldn't. The man nodded proudly.

,, Good." Dracula whispered. He stepped closer and lifted the knife, burying it in the heart of the man. He twisted it deeper in, grabbing him by the collar with the other hand.

,, Give Lucifer my regards." he hissed before throwing the dying vampire aside. The remaining vampires looked at their friend, then at Dracula, who twisted a lock of hair behind his ear in his elegant manner.

,, Any objections?" he asked. They all stood petrified, the woman in the purple gown looking close to tears. No one moved, beside from the vampire in red, whose arm carefully moved around the shoulders of the purple dressed woman.

,, Good." Dracula said again. He turned back to Victoria, who was standing and looking at the ashen body of the vampire. Her face was like that of a mask, her eyes like glass and not a feeling was to be read in them. Small lines of blood ran from her wounded shoulder and a bruise was beginning to appear on her cheek. He walked up to her and carefully reached out to touch her, his fingertips gently touching her arm. She looked at him.

,, Let us get back to the mansion." he suggested and she nodded.

A piercing cry made them both turn to the door, where Geogeta stood, looking at something in the corner.

The blood had to come from somewhere...

Andrei, no, the body of Andrei, was lying up against the wall, his eyes closed and the glow already leaving his golden skin. Geogeta tore her mask off and ran over to the body, falling to her knees and shaking like she was cold.

,, Andrei, please don't be dead...!" she whimpered and touched his cold skin, her green eyes overflowing with tears.

,, How dare you doing this to me?" she whispered and wrapped her arms around his body, trying to feel one little speck of life in his body. Victoria first noticed that she also was crying when one of the teardrops fell down and hit one of her arms, since she was trying to hug some warmth into her chilly bones. She turned to Dracula, who stood and watched the crying woman solemnly.

,, Can't you help her?" he looked at her for some time, then walked over and knelt down beside the crying woman, loosening his gold cape and wrapping it around her. She leaned on his shoulder and cried silently, Dracula stroking her hair and speaking to her in a language Victoria identified as Latin. When she couldn't bear the sight anymore, she turned away and tried to wipe the tears away, and walked over to where her dagger was lying in a heap of ash and dust.

,, I'm sorry." she whispered, then wiped the ash off the blade and stuck it back in her boot. The other vampires were gone. She somehow knew that Geogeta's crying would haunt her for some time. And now she felt guilty for having drunk some of the blood, even though it wasn't of her own will. She covered her face with her hands, crying without a sound and hating herself for it. After a minute or two, she got up and walked towards the door, looking at Dracula and Geogeta and Andrei one last time. She somehow managed to walk down the hall, arms dangling down her sides and cheeks wet with tears she felt guilty for shedding. She walked into the ballroom, moving around the dancing couples and not caring that she was bleeding from her shoulder. Neither did anyone else. When a concerned Horatiu and Camille tried to talk to her, she hardly heard them and didn't answer. Horatiu then turned and quickly paced back to the door from where Victoria had emerged, Camille following Victoria to make sure she was all right. Out in the great entry hall, Victoria asked in a quiet voice for her coat and only nodded to the servant as a thank you. She pulled it on and walked outside, moving away from the entrance and sitting herself down on the cobblestones in the shadows. She was freezing and only vaguely did she notice the snow was falling down over Bucharest. She had no idea of how long she sat there, but when Dracula found her, her cheeks felt like ice from the cold tears on them.

,, It's snowing." he said and knelt down in front of her, smiling his best Count Dracula smile at her.

,, We should be going home before my little angel turns into an icesculpture." he said and helped her to her feet.

,, Did you talk with Horatiu?" Victoria asked. Dracula nodded.

,, His coach will take us back, we don't have to walk through the streets in the snow." Victoria nodded, but she found it hard to look Dracula in the eyes. He reached out to stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers, but Victoria jumped away from his touch.

,, Sorry..." she said.

,,... But... I'm just freezing..." of course. No matter how much Victoria froze, Dracula knew he could never keep her warm. Never. And where the snow in her eyelashes and on her skin quickly melted away, making the last traces of her make up vanish, the flakes hung to Dracula and would not, could not, melt.

The ride in the coach was almost painfully silent, Victoria sitting and starring out of the windows and Dracula kicking himself for not keeping an eye on her.

,, What... Geogeta and Andrei... What will happen?" she asked as they got out of the coach, Dracula trying to help her without actually touching her skin.

,, I told her she could now choose; she has the powers of turning him into a vampire as well, and she has the powers to refuse too." he opened the door and let Victoria step in first.

,, My guess is that she will turn him into one." Victoria nodded. It seemed only fair; it was her who was the coward in the equation, Andrei and Geogeta were another measure.

,, Do you need anything? Food? A drink?" Victoria shook her head.

,, I'm just tired right now, I need to sleep I think."

,, Of course." he followed her up the stairs to her room and looked at her as she entered, peeling her coat off and throwing it on the chair.

,, Victoria..." he looked at her and wondered what in the world he could ever say?

,,... goodnight." he finally managed and closed the door. Dracula closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing his temples with his fingers. What a great moment for growing tongue-tied!

*

Victoria grabbed the strings of the corset of the gown, trying to tug the knot open, but it wouldn't work. It only tightened, making it harder to breathe. After a silent battle with the knot for about five minutes, Victoria sighed and grabbed the dagger in her boot and cut through the thread in a swift movement, elating in the feeling of being able to breathe freely again. Then she felt guilty for cutting her gown, but she was too exhausted to care for it now. She slipped out of the thing and pulled her boots and stockings off, leaving the dagger on the vanity alongside her necklace. She left the gown on the chair alongside her coat and pulled a nightgown on. But she knew that if she tried to sleep, the feeling of unwanted kisses and cold hands pulling her would creep out from her mind and mix with the echoes of Geogeta's cries.

So, crying but not actually crying, Victoria began walking around her room, back and forth in a never-ending pace, hoping it would make the feeling of the hands and lips go away.

,, My sweet Victoria, reduced to a pendulum, walking around her room as if her life depended on it." Dracula said, sitting on Victoria's bed and watching her as she walked around. He got up and walked in front of her, cutting her pace off.

,, Should I help you with your shoulder?" he asked and lifted a hand to place it on her shoulder, but Victoria shook her head.

,, It'll heal." she said and tried to walk around him, but Dracula would have none of it. He cupped her face and his eyes began glowing as he entered Victoria's mind, finding out what exactly had been going on while he wasn't there. Victoria tore away from him, tears stinging in her eyes.

,, Stop that!" she cried.

,, Don't ever do that again! Am I not entitled to have any secrets anymore?!"

,, I needed to known what they had done to you."

,, I would have told you in time!" she said and turned away from him, feeling too many tears build up.

,, Victoria..." Dracula took her delicately by the shoulders and turned her around, trying to comfort her through the simplest of gestures, little looks and soft strokes. Victoria tried to tear free, but Dracula's arms wrapped around her body and Victoria began crying. First her cries were silent, then angry. She was angry with Dracula for killing so many people, angry with herself for having killed and for being such a coward, and angry with everyone who had ever tried to hurt anyone. She began beating Dracula, hating that she loved him, and then her anger burned down and all, which was left, was tears. She didn't try to pull away when Dracula hugged her closer, shifting her weight and picking her up, putting her down in the bed and running his hands through her hair and down over her back, whispering comforting words down her hair. He told her of all those things he would show her when he was as free from his gift as he could be. Of the places they would visit and things they would see. About theatres and libraries and music, whispering every word in her ear and drying her tears, lying beside her on the bed.

,, Imagine... Imagine a place where you can walk the streets without being afraid. No one will ever dare hating you, you will just be another face." the thought of being like the next one, a person you forgot the second you had turned the corner, comforted Victoria and as he whispered on, she began relaxing and slept. Dracula watched her sleep and sighed. He needed to go back to his coffin for the day. He tucked her in and kissed the bruise on her cheek away, then left silently.

*

Van Helsing was slightly worried; it was almost evening, but he couldn't sleep and now felt like something was wrong. He got up and pulled his shirt on, sneaking out of his room and down the hall to where Victoria's room was. He just needed confirmation that she was okay, then he could relax. Feeling like a criminal, he opened the door and snug in.

Victoria was lying on the bed, as safe and tranquil as one could be. He sighed and shook his head at himself. He turned back round and now stood face to face with Dracula.

,, A work of art when she sleeps, is she not?" he asked, moving so Van Helsing could walk out and shut the door after him.

,, I just needed to check if you got her back." he said and shrugged.

,, Gabriel. There is one thing I need to ask of you." Dracula almost forced the words out; it wasn't easy for him.

,, What?"

,, When you get back to the Vatican, which I assume you will sooner or later...?" Van Helsing gave a short nod and crossed his arms.

,,... If you should pass by one day, place this on the grave of Valerious." he handed Van Helsing a small cross, made from silver and rubies. A very old cross, maybe something Dracula had found in one of his castles? Van Helsing felt slightly knocked over, but he tried to act casual as he took the cross.

,, Oh, I found this some time after I returned..." he pulled out a sweet smelling rosary, the little gold cross dangling from the end of the wonderfully scented beads.

,, And whose grave should I place this on?" Van Helsing asked, a slight tone to his voice.

,, It was Anna's. Keep it." Dracula said and gave Van Helsing the other cross before turning and walking back into his own room again. Van Helsing stood stunned for some time, then slowly, as if in a trance, he began walking back to his room. He left the silver cross on the bedside table and looked at the rosary in his hand. He held it close to his face and sniffed deeply in. It smelled just like Anna.

He wiped the lonely tears from his eyes and wrapped the rosary around his wrist, going back to sleep with the scent of Anna around him.

*

Victoria felt much lighter when she woke, almost as if she was flying, and when she walked down the stairs, she felt like her feet hardly touched the steps. She sat down in the dining room, where Carl was sitting and reading his book.

,, Carl, what's happened to your eyebrows?" she asked with furrowed brows.

,, Oh, ah, an occupational hazard." he said and blushed.

,, You burnt them?"

,, Well... yes..." she sighed and shook her head, smiling to herself before eating. Halfway through her breakfast something whispered her name and Victoria looked around, listening to the voice for some time.

_Horatiu?_

_Awfully rude of me, I know. Vladislav would like to see you down here in the cellar, no rush of course._

_Why is it you calling me, not him?_

_I think that would be best for him to explain..._

Victoria got up and left without a word, almost running to the cellar door and down the stairs. She raced down past the barrels of wine and down to where Horatiu, Van Helsing and Dracula were, last one mentioned leaning against the stone pillar and rubbing his burning wrists. He looked at her and smiled comfortingly, making her racing heart slow down.

,, Are you all right?" she asked and walked over to him. Dracula's shrugged and looked at Horatiu.

,, Chains me up, cuts me open, then stops and calls you. I know as much as you do." he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, smiling comfortingly at her.

,, It will turn out to be nothing, you'll see." Van Helsing sighed and pulled his coat back on, making sure the small rosary was still around his wrist.

,, It matches your eyes, Gabriel." Dracula taunted. Van Helsing glared.

,, So," Horatiu paged through three books, one after another, and looked up.

,, Vladislav, I am quite happy to say that we are through. You can start heal yourself all you want."

,, But..." Victoria said.

,,... is it possible? So soon?"

,, Yes, most of the gift has removed itself." Horatiu lifted and eyebrow.

,, Did your heart start recently? That would explain it." Dracula grinned and Victoria held a hand up to cover her mouth, smiling and blushing at the same time. Van Helsing tilted his head.

,, Yes, it did... for an hour or two, then it stopped again..."

,, There; a reasonable explanation." Horatiu's face suddenly grew grave, making Victoria shift from delight to dread.

,, There is however... one little complication..." he walked around the table for some time, wondering how to put it.

,, Horatiu...?" Dracula said.

,, Well. I trust you know that you will begin to age now?" he nodded and Victoria felt something inside her move.

_Oh no... _

,, But you will age... gradually... And... considering... well, age... I am afraid you and Victoria won't be able to keep up with each other."

,, What?" Van Helsing asked.

,, Well, as an example: let us say that every time Victoria had aged twenty years..." he scratched his head.

,, You will only have aged ten...

So..."

,,... I'll have to turn into a vampire?" Victoria asked.

,, Well... yes." Van Helsing almost dropped his jaw and Dracula's eyes grew bigger.

,, No." they both said, Victoria looking from one to the other.

,, I know this must be a difficult situation, but it is the only thing to be done. Of course, she will not have to turn into a complete vampire... I can make her something to mix with some blood, it will help her turn into the same kind of vampire you are now." Horatiu said. Dracula let go of Victoria and stepped angrily forward.

,, I went through this to spare her from the pain of becoming a hollow thing like me! You chose a very poor time to tell us that she would have to anyway." Horatiu stepped back and held up his hands.

,, I know, I know. But she won't be harmed, she can still walk freely around in daylight and eat food and everything."

,, Well, too bad she's not going to do it." Van Helsing said, smiling like it all was some sort of joke.

,, Would the three of you please stop talking about me like I weren't here?" she looked at Horatiu, then at Dracula.

,, I'll do it." she said.

,, No." Dracula said and Van Helsing looked like he was about to say the same.

,, You won't."

,, I won't have you ordering me around! Try considering; after all you have done for me, why can't I do this tiny thing for you?" he grabbed her shoulders.

,, Because I will not let you. We can find another way, I won't have you do it."

,, This is not you decision. Now let me go." she tugged free of his pleading grasp and looked at him for a silent second or two, her eyes determined and her lips pursed.

,, Victoria... Please do not make me do this..." he said.

,, Don't be that way." she said.

,, I'm actually fine about it." she wasn't lying. At first, the thought of being a vampire had made her feel cold inside, but now it just all seemed so... right. She actually felt relived, now she wouldn't have to feel guilty for making Dracula going through all the pain alone. She even smiled at him.

Dracula traced a finger along her cheek and shook his head slightly.

,, I never meant for this, you know..." he whispered.

,, I don't care. And unless you don't want us to be together..." his eyes sparkled sadly and he was about to say something, but Victoria continued.

,,... Then you shouldn't act like the world is falling." he stood for some time, wondering if he could argue with her in any way. But he couldn't. He sighed and closed his eyes.

,, I will certainly not be happy about it..." he looked at Victoria, his eyes icy cool and soft.

,,... but if you wish so, then who am I to deny you?"

,, No." Van Helsing said again.

,, I know this is far from what you wanted, but..." Horatiu started, but Van Helsing cut him off.

,, I swore that if Victoria was about to be turned into a vampire, I'd drag her back to the Vatican until I knew she was safe." he reached inside his coat for his pistol.

,, Van Helsing..." Victoria stepped up to him, placing a hand on his arm.

,,... I'm sorry. But if you had a chance to be with Anna again, wouldn't you take it?" she looked him in the eyes for a minute or so, but then he shifted his gaze and sighed. Then he noticed something on her shoulder, under the trim of her grey dress. He lifted a hand and pulled the fabric further away, Victoria twitching when she realized what he was doing.

,, Did he do this to you?" Van Helsing sneered as he drew a finger over the cuts the vampire woman had made in her shoulder. Victoria pulled away and pulled her dress back up.

,, No."

,, Why would I hurt her?" Dracula fired back.

,, Isn't that what you do?" and then the fight was on. Victoria didn't even listen to their word-toss anymore, she just shook her head and nodded to Horatiu before leaving the cellar, going back to her room and sitting down on the bed. She sighed and pulled a book from her old satchel, finding herself unable to read, to make the words make any sense. She sighed and tossed the book aside on her bed and stood back up, walking over to her window and looking out at the city; white. A wonderful poetic white, like a fresh sheet of paper just waiting for a story, had covered most of the city. The rooftops, the streets and the windowsills, everything was white. Victoria looked down at the street below, where a small group of children came running, packed comprehensively in coats and scarves and mittens, running around and throwing snowballs at each other in the twilight. She smiled at the sight.

,, Don't stand there too long, you'll get cold." Dracula said and walked up beside her, watching the children with a small hint of a smile in the corner of his mouth. Victoria grinned.

,, How did your children die?" she asked. Dracula turned his head and looked at her.

,, To tell the truth, they never lived. I tried to bring them to life several times, but it never worked. They died and there was nothing I could do to stop it." he placed a cool hand on her cheek.

,, But, as I said; no need to torment myself with my failures when there are so many other things to care for." the laughter from the street reached their ears, a hint of warmth in all the cold.

,, When all this is over..." he traced a finger from her temple to her jaw.

,,... I promise I will never hurt you again."

,, How painful is it?" she asked. Dracula shook his head.

,, I do not know. But I am told it should be... somewhat agonizing." her lips parted in a smile.

,, I don't care." his hand moved down and brushed the hair away from her neck, touching her like she was a precious doll from the Orient, and tilted her head carefully.

,, I shall try making it as brief as possible..." he whispered and pulled her closer, hugging her and burying his face in her hair, whispering small prayers of apology to her. Outside the children were still laughing.

Victoria stiffened by habit when she felt the sharpening fangs of Dracula scraping her neck, then she closed her eyes and grabbed his arms for some sort of comfort.

His teeth were sharp, almost so sharp she didn't feel them when they punctured her skin, but the pain quickly grew and she led out a gasping cry of pain. Dracula's hands stroked her back carefully and tried to comfort her in all the pain, but Victoria hardly noticed. Subconsciously she tried to fight free of the iron grip Dracula had around her, but since she was growing weaker by the second, it was in vain. She gasped for air to beg him to stop, but it was no use. Her legs lost their feeling and Dracula knelt down on the floor with her, never pulling away from her neck, trying to calm her by stroking her hair. Victoria blinked weakly and some tears ran down over her cheeks, her sight growing darker and all sounds around her growing weaker. Dracula pulled slightly away from her neck, licking her blood away from his mouth and looking at the half-dead Victoria in his arms. Her chest was rising and falling in a slow, unsteady pace and her mouth was slightly open.

,, You taste so much sweeter than I could ever have imagined." he whispered before leaning down and digging his teeth deeper into her vein, draining her to her last drop.

When she was on the verge of taking her last breath, he pulled away and looked at her, his lips creasing into a small smile.

,, The last time, I promise you." he whispered. Slowly he began loosening her dress and pulled it off her, leaving it on the floor when he carried her back to her bed, worrying if she was freezing in her thin slip. He put her down in the bed and wrapped the covers around her, then pulled out a small sealed test tube he had been given by Horatiu. It was filled with a mix of holy water and old spells and a generous amount of human blood. He snapped the cork off and helped Victoria up in a sitting position, her limp head resting in the crook of his arm.

,, You need to drink this, Victoria. All of it." he put the glass to her lips and tilted it slowly, making sure her weak body could follow along and drink every last drop of the liquid. Even in her weak state, she managed to wince from the vile taste. Dracula chuckled and dropped the test tube on the bedside table and lifted Victoria's dagger, which was now in his hand, and cut open a thick slit in his own wrist. He held it over her pale lips and let the black drops dip in a steady amount, before the wound closed up again. He didn't need to do this, but it would make her stronger. Victoria's tongue licked the drops away carefully, before falling back into the bed and sleeping in her weak state. Dracula smiled and stroked her hair for some time, before lying down beside her with an arm around her, protecting her while she slept.

*

Victoria felt... different. That was a very meek way to put it, but it was the only word she could think of. It took her hours to fight her eyelids up and she carefully looked around. She was lying in her bed in her room, her dress lying folded in the foot of the bed. She wrapped one of the sheets closer around her and sat up. Van Helsing was sitting on the chair beside her bed, arms crossed and eyes closed, sleeping soundly. Victoria smiled and leaned back against the headboard.

,, He insisted on staying here and I thought you would have liked him to. If not, I can always throw him out." Dracula said, causing Victoria to look around. He was sitting, upside down, on the ceiling, legs crossed and one of Victoria's books in one hand, turning the page and looking back down at her.

,, How are you?" he asked. Victoria shrugged.

,, I feel amazing. Like I've been sick for so long and now I'm finally well again." she leaned over and carefully took Van Helsing's arm, shaking it slightly.

,, Van Helsing?" she said carefully and pinched his arm. Van Helsing almost shot up and looked confused for a second or two, then sighed and ran a hand down over his face.

,, 'morning." he greeted.

,, Evening." Victoria smiled and swung her legs out over the side of the bed, looking at the crisp wintermoon shining through the window. She smiled at the calm moon and her eyes reflected the glow.

,, So, where's your count?" Van Helsing asked and leaned back in the chair.

,, Up here." Dracula said and grinned down at the pair. Van Helsing glared and muttered something.

,, How long have I been sleeping?" Victoria asked and got up from the bed, walking to her wardrobe and digging through her clothes. She pulled out a pair of black trousers and the shirt she had been given from Van Helsing.

,, Since yesterday." Dracula got up and jumped down, twisting in the air and landing on his feet. He walked over and handed her the book he had been reading.

,, Fascinating story." he smiled. Victoria titled her head and looked at the title.

,, 'The Lady Of Shallott'? It cost me a week without meat and ale, but I'd never give it up." then she realized something and looked around again. All the candles were out, there was no other light than that of the moon.

,, You will get used to it along the way." Dracula comforted. Victoria smiled and put the book down on the bed, then turned to Van Helsing and Dracula.

,, And now the two of you can leave while I change." she said.

,, Both of us?" Dracula grinned. Victoria shook her head at the comment, but Dracula and Van Helsing left. She pulled on her clothes and combed her hair, looking into the mirror and wondering. Since she would never be a vampire, her reflection still showed, but it was see through and dim.

With all that had happened to her, she should have felt... something. Sadness, rage, pain, anything like that. But all she felt was happiness.

She turned to the door and closed her eyes, concentrating on like when Dracula did it, and felt herself walking through shadows. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing on the other side of the door, grinning at Dracula and Van Helsing.

,, I could get used to this." she chuckled.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM B A C K!!!!!! It's been FAR too long!!!!!! *runs around and hugs everyone***

**The last weeks have been really tense, but then I went to London (LOVE LONDON!) on holiday and now I'm back on top:D **

**I'm still fighting with my last exams, but it will all be over soon:D YAY!! **

**And to all of my readers and reviewers: Air kisses and more hugs! :D**


	30. Chapter 30

The beginning.

,, Why so tense, love?" Dracula asked. Victoria's eyes were welded shut and she was clinging onto Dracula for dear life.

,, Remind me to cut your tongue out later." she sneered. Dracula chuckled and kissed her head, the arm he had wrapped around her body squeezing her lovingly.

,, Two more steps, then we should be there." he said. Victoria clutched his free arm closely, her mouth feeling dry and her lips parched. As if Dracula had sensed her dryness, he stole a lingering kiss before loosening his arm around her body.

,, No, no, no, no...! Don't...!" Victoria almost shouted, her eyes still shut. When Dracula moved away anyway, his arm twisting out of her grip. She cursed him and tried to grab a hold of him again.

,, Traitor...!" she spat. But she hadn't fallen yet, so she supposed it was all right.

,, Open your eyes, you won't fall, I promise." Dracula said.

,, Besides, if you should, there's plenty of people to save you." Van Helsing said. Dracula reached out and stroked her neck with his fingertips.

,, Go on." he whispered seductively in her ear. Tryingly, as if it would break her connection with her legs and send her tumbling down, Victoria carefully opened her eyes; she was standing in the white ballroom of Horatiu's mansion, Dracula now standing beside her, standing about an arm's length from her person. In itself, not so strange, but the fact that she was standing on the ceiling of the room was alien to her. Down on the floor, Van Helsing, Carl and Camille and Horatiu stood, last two mentioned standing and grinning slightly at the sight. Dracula stood and watched her, pride and affection glowing from his eyes. Pride for actually knowing he had Victoria, affection for knowing she knew the same about him. She even looked sweet with her hair falling down in a silky move, due to her standing upside down.

,, So... That's how it feels like..." Victoria looked down at her feet. She carefully lifted her one foot and shook it slightly. Dracula walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, shrouding his face in her raven tresses.

,, You look so beautiful." he whispered. Victoria twisted around and grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

,, I think your blood has run to your head." she laughed.

,, It always does around you." he grinned back.

,, Ahem." it came from Horatiu.

,, May I remind you that you have an audience?" Victoria looked embarrassed and took a step back from Dracula, before stopping and swaying from side to side.

,, Victoria?" Dracula carefully asked as Victoria's eyes turned in her skull and her feet let go of the ceiling, sending her tumbling to the floor far below. Van Helsing raced from his point at the wall and caught her, alongside Dracula who now stood on the floor. They both looked at each other for a second, then down at Vitoria, who was forcing her eyes open.

,, What happened?" she asked drowsily and tried to steady herself. Van Helsing let go of her completely and Dracula helped her feet to the ground, letting her lean against him.

,, You fell." Van Helsing said simply. Victoria nodded.

,, I know... But why?" then she twisted and cursed from a pain in her stomach and throat.

,, I'm hungry..." she muttered. Which was strange, since she had only moments before eaten a sturdy breakfast. Then Dracula chuckled.

,, Oh, nothing more?" he hugged her closer and kissed her forehead.

,, Don't frighten me like that again."

,, How can she be hungry when she has just eaten?" Van Helsing asked, almost angrily. Dracula looked at him like a small child who hadn't quite understood the rules of a game yet.

,, Considering my beautiful Victoria is now a bit of this and that, she will now have to live of two diets."

,, I'm not yours." Victoria said and straightened up.

,, Well, if you need any blood, I have plenty to share of. Anything in particular you fancy?" Horatiu asked. Dracula shook his head and stroked Victoria's hair softly.

,, Thank you, but theirs is no need to." he helped Victoria walking towards the door.

,, Come now, we'll go back to your room." he said.

,, If she needs blood, then give her some blood...!" Van Helsing said and followed.

,, I will, I will. One more step." last thing he said was directed to Victoria.

,, Dracula, either you stop talking in riddles or..." Van Helsing was cut off when Dracula closed his eyes and walked the last way with Victoria through the shadows, reaching her room in mere seconds.

,, There. Sit down." he helped her down in the chair and began opening the buttons and chords of his coat. He pulled it off and threw it aside.

,, What now?" she asked.

,, I tried to give you some of my blood earlier on, but I don't think I gave you an adequate amount. So..." he pulled his collar more away from his neck and sliced open a cut in his jugular vein, making black blood ooze from it in a steady flow. Victoria's grey eyes glowed and she licked her lips.

,, Quick now, before it heals." he said and pulled her to her feet. Victoria winced when her fangs grew in her mouth, the unfamiliar feeling of it making her pause a moment for reflection. Dracula sliced open the healing cut again and took her gently by the neck and led her closer. Her eyes practically glazed over. Dracula wrapped his arms around her waist when Victoria's tongue passed over his neck, licking the potent blood away, before carefully burying her teeth in his vein. He chuckled in approval through the pain.

,, Good, drink until you feel it is enough." he said hoarsely, silently admiring his loved one's bloodlust. She began growing bolder and forced her teeth deeply into his blood flow, wanting to taste more of the delicious liquid. How could anything ever taste that sweet?

She managed to pull away from Dracula, her eyes glowing like grey pearls in the dark room, before shoving him backwards onto the bed and straddling him smoothly. Dracula laughed quietly and placed his hands on her hips as she leaned down and kissed him, before digging her teeth into his neck again. He closed his eyes and decided to go with her wishes and let her drink.

Van Helsing knocked on the door, hard and angry.

,, Victoria?" Victoria pulled away from Dracula's neck and looked at the door. Dracula grabbed her chin and turned her face back round.

,, You need your strength, ignore him." and Victoria was still hungry, so she leaned back down and began drinking again. But Van Helsing didn't go away that easy, and decided to walk in. The sight, which met him, made him stop dead and look at Victoria and Dracula in the semi-darkness of the room. He was about to turn back round, but Dracula laughed and made him stop.

,, No need to, Gabriel, Victoria's simply enjoying her dinner." when Van Helsing looked closer, he could see how Victoria was actually not kissing Dracula, but drinking. In the same second he realized that, Victoria pulled away and licked the blood from her lips. Dracula grinned up at her.

,, Feeling better?" he asked and she nodded.

,, Good. Now get off him." Van Helsing said. Victoria crawled off him and Dracula sat up, rubbing his neck with one hand and smiling at Van Helsing.

,, Don't be like that, Gabriel. Frowning makes you look so bitter." he turned to Victoria.

,, You should be able to live on that for a month or so to come." she nodded.

,, Why can't I drink human blood?"

,, You can. Most certainly you can. But the blood of a vampire makes you stronger and you won't have to drink as many times as if it had been a human." he flickered a lock of her hair behind her ear.

,, Those reasons aside, I quite enjoy having you on my neck." Van Helsing rolled his eyes and made a small sound, like he was gagging.

,, Gabriel..." Dracula looked at Van Helsing.

,, What?"

,, I have arranged with Horatiu to leave tomorrow morning. No need lingering when there is so many things to travel to see. Which means..."

,,... you want me out of your sight in a hurry."

,, How clever you are." he teased. Victoria gave him a small push and got up from the bed, walking up to Van Helsing and looking at him sadly.

,, It's not like that... But I don't think you'd like to follow us around forever." Van Helsing looked from Victoria's face to Dracula's, then he sighed deeply.

,, I'd probably grow sick of you after a month or so." he teased. Victoria gave him a sisterly shove and Van Helsing wrapped his arms around her.

,, I'll miss you." she said, Van Helsing standing with his arms around her shoulders and looking out into the room.

,, Get some rest. Learn how to be a vampire. Pack your bag. We can say goodbye, properly goodbye, tomorrow." she nodded and he let go of her, and glared at Dracula one last time before leaving.

,, He does care for you." Dracula said, as if it was something purely odd to say. He got up and walked up to her, holding her chin between thumb and forefinger.

,, And is that so surprising?" she said and caused Dracula so smile in wonder; how had this delicate little angle, this stubborn shepherdess from the mountains, chosen to be with him?

,, No, I just find the thought of sharing you rather difficult."

,, "sharing" me? Generous vampire lord, Count Dracula, is it possible for your consort to choose and think for herself?" Dracula kissed her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

,, I stand powerless against your will, my lady, but promise me to be careful; women who think for themselves often end up in rather unpleasant situations."

,, Oh? Like what?"

,, Meeting a lonesome vampire in the forests one night and casting him under your spell; I have been told it should be quite dangerous." Victoria laughed and leaned against him, snuggling into the cool embrace of his body.

,, I shall try and be careful." she murmured.

,, Good."

***

Victoria hadn't spent that much time by the coast, but she wondered if Dracula would happen to own any castles near one? To live by the sea... It sounded so wonderful.

The same morning, very early in fact, she had woken in her room, Dracula lying beside her and sleeping soundly, guarding her like he always did. She had kissed his eyelids and woken him up, changing from her nightgown to her old grey dress, the one she had been wearing on a certain night in a forest up north, walking unaccompanied around in the darkness. Van Helsing almost came running into her room and asked if he could carry any of her luggage downstairs? Informing him that she only was bringing her satchel, she thanked him but said she could carry it herself, even though it had been crammed to the limit in fancy dresses and silken shirts.

Downstairs, Camille had managed to force Horatiu out of his sleep, and the two women hugged each other goodbye, promising one another to give some sort of word from time to time, be it in a form of a letter or a simple thought now and again. Horatiu had kissed Victoria's hand and shaken Dracula, whishing them the best of luck in their lives, and they had left the mansion in Bucharest. Horatiu and Dracula had gathered enough energy for transporting the four of them, Victoria, Van Helsing, Carl and, of course, Dracula himself, to the Adriatic coast. They had hardly arrived before Van Helsing began complaining over the travel, Carl over his dizziness cause by the travel, and Dracula over the pale morning sun. Victoria had just pulled her coat closer around her shoulders, to shield herself from the cold November wind from the sea, and had looked her two friends in the eyes. Dracula had snug off and stood about 30 feet away, his black cape whipping in the cold air.

Victoria looked from Van Helsing to Carl, then hugged last one mentioned first.

,, I'll miss you so much...!" she announced as the nervous friar patted her back and quickly turned away the second she let go.

She then turned to Van Helsing.

,, Now, don't cry." Van Helsing said. Victoria smiled and rubbed her solitary tear away.

,, No, not you." he said and pointed at Carl, who glared offended back.

,, It's all the cold air...! It gets to my eyes...!" he quickly turned around again. Victoria laughed and then looked at Van Helsing again, steeping closer and wondering where to start...

,, Remember I said I owed you one after you hit me?" she asked after some time. Van Helsing nodded and braced himself when he saw that Victoria had already clenched her left hand to a fist. Then the fist unfolded again and Victoria placed her hand on his cheek, feeling the rough stubble under her fingers and wondering how much she'd miss them.

,, Well... you can have this..." she got to her toes and kissed him on the sensitive skin under the eye, before hugging him so close it hurt on both of them. He hugged her back and kissed her cheek, wiping her tears away with his fingers and smiling comfortingly at her.

,, You know where to find me." he whispered, somehow getting heard over the icy scream of the wind.

,, I have your address." she said and smiled.

,, Van Helsing?"

,, Mmn?"

,, I love you." he didn't let go of her when she turned to Carl.

,, You too, cry baby."

,, It's the wind!" he tried to argue, but the results were fruitless.

,, Victoria..." Van Helsing let out a deep sigh.

,, Thank you... You reminded me of a thing or two along the way... And..." he looked at Dracula, who was standing and looking right back, smirking and watching the scene in silence.

,,... I love you as well. And..." he leaned closer down.

,,... If Dracula ever gives you any problems, I promise I'll come and remove his head for you." Victoria laughed and tried to ignore her crying. Van Helsing gave her one last hug before releasing her and sauntering over to Dracula. He reached out his hand, the one with the rosary wrapped around it.

,, Dracula..." he greeted coldly. Dracula's gloved hand took his and they shook slightly, before it became a fight of tightening the grip the most.

,, If you ever dare to hurt her... I swear to God that I will remind you of how Hell is." Dracula grinned back.

,, I would not whish it any other way. In any case, should I ever get hurt, it's good to know that Victoria will have one to look after her."

,, I can take care of myself!" Victoria said as she walked up and forced their hands apart, so no bones would break. She then hugged Carl and Van Helsing one last time and stood and watched them with Dracula, as they walked aboard the ship which would take them back to Rome. Dracula wrapped a warming arm around her and packed her in the fold of his cape.

,, So... Anything particular you would like to see first?" he asked casually when the ship was nothing more than a dot, the size of a fingernail, and wiped the tears of Victoria's cheeks with his handkerchief.

,, I don't know... There is so much I would like to see..." she turned to face him.

,, How does England sound to you?"

,, A good place to start, I believe they have some rather wonderful bookshops in London." they began walking down along the small road back to the nearest village, Dracula's arm and cape still wrapped around Victoria.

,, That sound's wonderful." she wrapped her arms around herself and huddled further in under his cape.

,, Are you cold?" she shook her head, her long black hair almost dancing in the wind.

,, Never around you."

The End.

**Wow... What to say? Uhm... THANK YOU!!! All you wonderful people around the world who have taken some time to read this story, which grew much longer than first expected, but was also received with a welcoming hug and a cup of tea with honey.**

**To EVERYONE who have commented: T H A N K Y O U!!!! **

**To EVERYONE who have read: T H A N K Y O U!!!! **

**To EVERYONE: T H A N K Y O U!!!!!!:D**

**HUGS FOR ALL OF YOU! **

**SeventhS.**


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